Always and Forever Yours
by lateVMlover
Summary: This story picks up a few weeks after the season 2 finale of The Originals. Hurt and angry for all the things Klaus did in the defeat of Dahlia, Elijah calls in an old marker from Giles, who sends Buffy into New Orleans to reign in Klaus, who seems to have little remorse for the people he's hurt. Buffy finds herself intrigued by the family and very attracted to Elijah.
1. Chapter 1

**This story takes place about 5 years after season 7 of** _ **BTVS**_ **, putting Buffy around 26 or so, and in season 2 of** _ **The Originals**_ **right after the finale. Unlike my other Original heavy** _ **VD**_ **story, this story will NOT contain any characters from Mystic Falls crossing over. It focuses completely on New Orleans and the characters from** _ **The Originals.**_ **If you have not seen** _ **The Originals**_ **, this story will contain spoilers (obviously).**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own either shows, but I LOVE writing stories that bring the two insanely fun worlds together.**

 **This is a Buffy/Elijah pairing. Although Hayley has grown on me A LOT since the show began, I still don't think she's worthy of Elijah and kind of like Jackson, her werewolf husband.**

 **This story may be hard to follow if you don't watch** _ **The Originals**_ **, but I will tell you that the Mikaelsons' oldest sister Freya is a witch and is not dead as they were told. Instead, their mom's sister Dahlia, a powerful witch, took her in exchange for a favor when she was 3 or 4. They have just defeated Dahlia by resurrecting their mother, who was killed once again by her children. To bring back Esther, they tricked and betrayed Davina, a young and powerful witch who is in love with Kol and has just become head of all the witches in New Orleans. Klaus paid a heavy price to defeat their aunt, who wanted his child, a vampire, werewolf, witch—the child isn't one year old yet and has shown signs of being very powerful. Rebekah, once again in her human witch body, has left New Orleans to find a life outside of her family's constant squabbling.**

 **This story centers around Elijah, who has had Klaus kill yet another lover of his. His commitment to his niece and love for Hayley, though, won't allow him to forsake his brother completely. Hurt and on the brink of despair, he calls in an old marker. He knows he can no longer handle his impulsive and callous brother alone.**

Chapter 1: The Call

****** _New Orleans******_

Elijah helped Marcel put Gia to rest. Marcel was probably the only one alive who had an inkling of what he was feeling. Loving Niklaus came at a heavy price. Klaus was a father to Marcel, one he both loathed and admired. There had been a time when Klaus had given Marcel the best part of himself, the part of him that kept Elijah from despairing for his brother. However, Marcel had come to realize what Elijah and Rebekah already knew—that Klaus's love came with a heavy price. Klaus had killed many of Marcel's friends since coming to New Orleans over a year ago. Now Marcel was doing everything he could to keep the rest of them alive. The recent clash with the werewolves in the town had compelled Elijah to extend his hand to his brother's foster son. They were family of sorts. In New Orleans, one must pick one's allies with careful consideration. As an original vampire, Elijah felt a responsibility to the vampires in the French Quarter. He'd felt a responsibility and more toward Gia. Now she was dead, callously murdered by his brother.

Marcel's eyes were filled with sorrow. Klaus had compelled him to kill Rebekah, the only woman he'd ever truly loved. Sure, he'd done so knowing she'd jump back into her original body, but it was still a horrible violation. If Rebekah hadn't killed herself and saved him the torment, he'd have yet another death on his conscience. Then Klaus had killed Gia, one of his. Marcel looked at Elijah. She was also one Elijah cared deeply for. The normally stoic and composed original was not looking his normal unaffected self.

"Are you okay?" Marcel asked him in concern. Elijah was their rock. The only one on the planet who had any real influence on Klaus. Without him, Marcel didn't know what the vampires in the city would do. Elijah was like the angel on Klaus' shoulder, constantly reminding him of his humanity. The only man Klaus both admired and respected.

Elijah tore his eyes from the ground that now held Gia's burnt body. "I don't think there's a word to describe what I am," Elijah said woodenly.

"You know Klaus never considers collateral damage when he's fighting an enemy," Marcel said. "He is ruthless."

"Niklaus never considers anything but his own safety and self-interest," Elijah said bitterly. "He took Gia, a girl who never harmed a single soul since becoming a vampire and compelled her to kill herself. He will claim it was to fool Dahlia. He'll say it was her or you. He'll say that I shouldn't care so much because she wasn't the woman I really loved anyway."

"Your brother is an ass," Marcel said bluntly.

A ghost of a smile graced Elijah's face, and he looked at the only man who understood his brother as well as he. Marcel Gerard was a slave Niklaus had saved as a young boy. In an act of rare compassion and kindness, he had killed Marcel's cruel master and had taken in Marcel, loving and raising him as a son. He'd been a part of their family until he was grown. Although Marcel had loved Rebekah, he'd chosen to become a vampire while Rebekah was daggered for five decades. He'd paid a high cost for loving their only sister.

"My brother is forever thinking he has a right to interfere in his siblings' love life," Elijah said with controlled anger. "I loved Celeste. He had her killed. I cared deeply for Katerina, and he destroyed her life and killed her entire family. Now he's invoked the curse on Hayley's pack, condemning her to the werewolf form but three days out of the month. How can she be a mother to Hope? How could he do such a thing to the mother of his child?"

Marcel was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "You know in his mind he was protecting her from Dahlia. He took her out of the fight, so she wouldn't be a threat to Dahlia. He cares for Hayley—more than he'll ever admit."

"That may be so," Elijah acknowledged. "But he cannot be allowed to do whatever he wants. He cannot be allowed to hurt whomever he wants."

"What can we do? He's too strong," Marcel said. "Davina is the only one in this city who isn't afraid of him. She has the power now, but I don't want her drawn into a war with Klaus. He'll kill her. Her love for me will keep her from killing him, and he'll use that love to his advantage. Loving me will get her killed."

"You know she's going to be very angry with me. Rebekah and I tricked her," Elijah said regretfully. "She had one chance to restore our brother Kol, but we swapped the ashes for our mother. We needed Esther to kill Dahlia." The irony was they'd killed their mother yet again. She'd served a purpose, but Elijah wished rather desperately to have his incorrigible brother Kol here in her stead.

Marcel gave a bitter, humorless laugh. "Never get in the way of an Original and something they want."

Elijah gave him a look of regret. "I am sorry, Marcel. I'm not sure we did you any favors long ago when we saved you from a slave's life," he said.

"Yes, you did," Marcel said firmly. "Everything I am today is because of you and your family. Klaus showed me how to be strong and ruthless, to survive and never be a victim again. You showed me how to have class and culture. Rebekah showed me how to love. I don't regret a single thing. I just wish your brother didn't make everything so damn hard!"

A real smile graced Elijah's face. "I know what you mean," he said. However, his brother had gone too far this time. He'd cursed Hope's mother, her pack. He'd killed yet another lover of Elijah's. It had to stop. There had to be a way to keep his brother in check. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. A face came to his mind—one he'd not thought about in years.

"Are you going to stay with me or return home to Klaus?" Marcel asked.

"I cannot abide in the same place as my brother. Not while I am this angry," Elijah said. "Yet I cannot leave my niece with only Klaus. I promised Hayley I would look after her."

"Your sister Freya is there, too, right?" Marcel inquired.

"And how do you think that will go? They are cut from the same distrustful, treacherous cloth," Elijah said warily. "Hope needs more. She needs Hayley. Even Jackson and his pack would be a better influence on my niece."

"What can you do?" Marcel asked.

"I'm going to do something. Niklaus cannot be allowed to do whatever he wants to us. I will tolerate this no more," Elijah said firmly.

Marcel grew worried as he saw a look in Elijah's eyes that he'd not seen before. He had a feeling that this time Klaus would finally know regret.

Elijah left Marcel making a plan. He made a call. Then he got another number. He called again. His called paid off when he finally tracked down the man he was looking for.

"Rupert Giles?" he asked.

"Yes. This is he. What can I do for you?" the British man asked in a voice that was still familiar to Elijah.

"This is Elijah Mikaelson. I'm calling in the favor you owe me," Elijah said.

 _*****Two Weeks Later*****_

Buffy looked out the window as the plane began to descend over New Orleans. She'd traveled all over the world slaying, training, and recruiting, but for some reason, her travels hadn't ever taken her here. Giles had tried more than once to get a slayer house started in the famous city. However, something always prevented his plans from coming to fruition. It seemed that the Powers didn't want them in that city, so he'd finally given up.

Since it became clear to her, Willow, and Giles that she was different from the other slayers about three years ago, there wasn't an urgency to see it all. She knew she had all the time in the world. As long as a slayer was on earth, Buffy would live. Her life force was linked to the slayer line. It had been five years since Willow had done her spell that had changed Buffy and the potentials for all time. Buffy was now immortal with her strength and powers growing every year she was alive. It was still a lot to take in, so she didn't spend too much time thinking about it. She supposed when more people she cared about died of old age, it'd hit her harder. Unfortunately, in her line of work, dying of old age wasn't very common.

Her reason for coming to New Orleans was as a favor for Giles. He had asked her to, so she'd cleared her schedule as soon as she could. Since her differences became so obvious to the other slayers, her life with them wasn't an easy one. Only when things are really bad did they want her around. She didn't really have a place in their world anymore. The first year after they had left Sunnydale, they'd organized and built on the ashes of the Watcher's Council. She, Faith, Robin, and Kennedy had trained the new slayers while Willow located them. However, when it became apparent that she was growing stronger than even Faith, things began to change. No longer did she have the ease with the new slayers that she'd once had. The awe was tinged with fear when they fought with her. Her calling had once again hijacked her life. She'd been counting the days until she'd get to return to heaven, and now heaven was even further away.

Giles asking a favor for her was a welcome distraction. Buffy thought she knew Giles better than anyone. He'd been her teacher, mentor, friend, and father for over a decade. She thought she knew all his secrets by now. However, he could still surprise her. A phone call from an old acquaintance had made him reveal yet a new facet of his history.

Back in his ripper days, Giles had nearly died. However, he'd been saved by a man who was more than a man. He was a vampire but not the kind she knew fought and slayed. Giles insisted the vampire had a soul and was no demon. Buffy remained skeptical, but she would gladly help the man who saved Giles decades earlier. She didn't understand why Giles had never mentioned that there were vampires with souls running around—ones without demons. When she'd questioned him, she said that he hadn't want to muddy the waters—whatever that meant.

She was going to see the vampire who had saved Giles. His name was Elijah Mikaelson. According to Giles, he was very old world and the head of an ancient vampire family that was created by magic and not demons. Buffy didn't understand how she and her slayers had never run across any of his line. Vampires that didn't turn to dust would surely have been noticed. However, she trusted Giles explicitly. If he said this man Elijah was someone she could trust, then she would.

As she walked down the airport tunnel leading away from the plane, she looked forward to the new adventure that awaited her in New Orleans. Something inside her told her that her life was about to change.

***** _To Be Continued*****_

 _The chapters in this story will probably not be overly long for a change. What do you think? I hope you're interested enough to read more! I know it's a bit insane to have another active story up, but I have about six chapters of this written. I will try to post a chapter or two a month. Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Remember, this is just shortly after the season 2 finale and Klaus diabolical actions are still on everyone's mind. If you aren't watching, _The Originals_ , this story will kind of ruin season 2 for you. So go back and watch it and THEN read this! :)**

Chapter 2: First Meetings

 _******Where We Left Off******_

Elijah waited more impatiently than usual. The past two weeks of being in his brother's presence, his rage grew. Niklaus showed no remorse. He expected Elijah to simply get over what he'd done. It was infuriating how little his brother truly understood him. Unlike Niklaus, Elijah never took a lover lightly. He could go entire decades without one. To him sex required intimacy and intimacy trust. Without trust, he would never allow a woman to be so close. Gia had been special. She'd been gifted and so brave. She was passionate and stubborn. He cared for her. Not the way he did Hayley, but she mattered to him. It wasn't right the way Niklaus snuffed out her life without a real moment of regret.

He loved his brother. He did. However, he no longer had faith that his brother could be trusted to do what was best for his family and his city. He was forever the lone wolf. No matter how much Elijah tried to stay close to him, no matter how much he encouraged his brother to confide in him, Niklaus still went off and did what he deemed best. It mattered little how many people he hurt in the process. Elijah was done trying to save him. Now he was just going to focus on containing him.

Rupert Giles assured him that the slayer he was sending was the strongest one in history. Rupert loved her like a daughter and was confident that she could help Elijah. He wouldn't tell Elijah much about her, just that she was immortal because the slayer line was anchored in her. It was a surprising development of the spell their witch had used to activate all the potential slayers.

Rupert had sent him a photo of Buffy Summers so that he'd know what she looked like. He looked down at his phone. She was beautiful. However, her eyes were old. They held pain. Elijah didn't want to be the source of more pain for the woman. For a moment, he regretted calling her in. Then he thought of Haley and Hope. For them, he'd do just about anything.

Her flight was disembarking. He moved closer to the gate she was supposed to come out of as people began to come out. There she was. When she started looking around, he held up his hand and got her attention. She walked toward him, stopping a few feet from him.

"Elijah Mikaelson?" she asked.

"I am. You must be Buffy Summers," he said, holding out his hand.

She gave him a warm smile, and he was struck by her beauty. Her green eyes and blonde hair reminded him of Camille, but her features were finer and more delicate. She was so small for such a reputable warrior. It was surprising.

"I haven't met any slayers before, but you're not what I expected," he admitted.

"Well, I have met a few hot vampires, and you're totally what I expected," she said with a mischievous grin.

Elijah was so taken aback by her response that he was momentarily speechless. She laughed at his discomfort.

"I'm sorry. Didn't Giles warn you that I'm incorrigible?" she asked, a twinkle in her eye.

For the first time in ages, Elijah smiled a genuine smile. "He must've forgotten to mention it," Elijah said in amusement. "You are going to drive my brother mad."

"I've been known to do that to more than one homicidal vamp," she said smugly. Giles had filled her in enough to know that Elijah's brother was a hybrid with impulse control issues.

"Can I take your bag?" Elijah asked, gesturing to her small case on wheels.

"No, I got it," she said, smiling at his chivalry. It'd been a long time since a man tried to help her. When men found out about her powers, they usually assumed that she never needed help with anything. "But thanks. It's been a long time since a guy's offered."

"Yes, men have grown quite ill-mannered," he remarked.

"So what's your plan?" Buffy asked as she followed him out of the airport.

"I thought I'd buy you dinner, and we could talk," he said.

"Sounds great. My friends told me the food in this city is to die for," she said eagerly.

"I know just the place," Elijah said. He hailed a cab. In the car ride, Buffy chatted about her travels in Europe, asking him of the places he'd been. She was surprisingly easy to talk to. She asked questions and actually listened to his response.

When they arrived at Rousseau's, he held out his hand to help her out of the cab. She smiled and took it. Her hand felt familiar somehow. It was strange and disconcerting. He released it as soon as she was out of the car.

"I have a friend of sort that works here. She's the rare human that has some actual influence over my brother," Elijah shared.

"Are they lovers?" Buffy inquired.

"No. However, in some ways, she is closer than one. Niklaus doesn't let lovers get close to him. He doesn't let them in, but he's allowed her to know him. Truly know him," Elijah said as he opened the door. "She's got a way about her. She inspires confidence. I myself have shared things with her when I barely knew her."

"She knows how to make broody, tortured vampires bare their soul? I'm going to have to learn her secrets," Buffy said with a grin.

"She is a graduate student studying psychology," Elijah said, flashing her a smile.

"Great! I knew I should've gone to grad school," she said. His smile remained as he held the door open for her.

"Elijah," Cami said, smiling at the new arrivals. "Can I get you and your friend a table?"

Buffy looked at the taller blonde with interest. She had a warm, welcoming air about her.

"Camille, this is Buffy Summers. Buffy, this is Camille O'Connell," Elijah introduced.

Buffy gave a small wave. "It's nice to meet you," she said.

"It's great to meet you, too," Cami said. "Follow me." She led them to a table. "So I've not seen you before. Are you new in town?"

"Yep. This is my first time to New Orleans," Buffy said.

Elijah surprised Buffy by saying, "She's a vampire slayer. I've called her here to deal with Niklaus."

Cami's mouth fell open in shock. "You brought someone here to kill your brother?" she asked.

"No, of course not," Elijah said easily.

"My skill set isn't something I usually advertise," Buffy said, giving Elijah a pointed look.

"Cami is our friend. She can be trusted," Elijah said simply.

"Yeah, once your brother bites me and speaks psychically to me, it makes me a part of the club," Cami said with a wry smile.

Buffy moved her collar slightly to show a scar. "I'm familiar with that particular move. Minus the psychic connection, though," Buffy said. "The vampires I kill are demons and don't have that particular skill set."

"Okay, so what can you do?" Cami asked. Then she quickly added, "I mean what's the plan?"

"The plan is to keep Niklaus off balance. It's to bring a new player into the mix that he cannot intimidate or control," Elijah answered.

Cami looked unsure. "He never reacts well to new people," she reminded him. "Don't forget how he reacted to Feya, and she is his actual sister."

Buffy looked at him with interest. "A real head case, huh?" she asked.

"You don't know the half of it," Cami said. "I have a graduate degree in psychology, and I can rarely get through to him."

"Yet you succeed where so many fail," Elijah said, a note of admiration in his voice.

She looked embarrassed and handed them menus. "Yeah, well, he still almost killed me," she said grimly. "I actually believed he'd never hurt me. I was a naïve fool."

Buffy felt sympathetic. She'd loved a vampire once that she believed would never hurt her. Then he did. Some betrayals never leave you no matter how much time passes.

"Camille, if you are going to care about my brother, you are going to be hurt. It's what he does—hurt those closest to him," Elijah warned her.

Seeking to distill the sudden tension, Buffy asked, "So what do you recommend?"

They both said, "The gumbo."

Buffy grinned. "Gumbo it is," she said.

"I'll have the same," Elijah said.

So Buffy spent her first evening in New Orleans having dinner with a very charming vampire.

***** _The Mikaelson Compound*****_

As Elijah led Buffy into their home, he told her, "I think it's best if we not tell my siblings what you are."

"I'm good with that," she said, giving him a mischievous smile. "I like to keep'em guessing."

"Trying to figure you out will occupy Niklaus. He's going to be mad with frustration," Elijah said, enjoying the thought. "My sister Freya is still relatively unknown. We thought she was dead long ago. We had no idea our witch aunt was keeping her in slumber a hundred years at time, only to let her live a year at a time."

Buffy winced. "Ouch. That's rough. How is she sane?" she asked.

"Who says she is?" a voice asked. Buffy looked up and saw a devilishly handsome man standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. He was smiling, flashing dimples. The dimples were unexpected. She'd never known evil to have dimples.

"That's no way to speak of our sister," Elijah said disapprovingly.

Klaus gave Elijah a grin. Instinctively, Buffy knew he enjoyed baiting his older brother immensely. She found her sense of fun responding to the man she was meant to keep on a leash.

She had a feeling this was not going to be easy.

****** _Chapter End******_

 _Review please!_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Stumped Hybrid

 _*****Where We Left Off*****_

"So brother, have you returned for good or are you just here to pack up your things?" Klaus asked, pretending he didn't care about the answer.

"You think I'd leave my niece alone with you after what you've done to her mother?" Elijah said coldly.

"I saved her mother's life," Klaus said, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You know as well as I that Dahlia was going to kill her. She lives still because of _me_. Because I was strong enough to do the despicable. Hate me all you want, but Hayley is alive and the threat our aunt posed gone."

"I see what you mean," Buffy said to Elijah, smiling knowingly. "I'm surprised his head isn't bigger."

Elijah gave her a genuine smile of amusement while Klaus growled. "Your guest needs to learn some manners," Klaus warned.

"Ah, yes, I haven't introduced my new friend," Elijah said easily. "Niklaus, this is Buffy Summers. She will be staying with us."

"I have just routed our most dangerous foe, and you want to bring a stranger into my home? I will not allow it!" Klaus fumed.

"This is _our_ home. Not yours," Elijah reminded him, taking a step toward him. "I am the elder. You are not the head of this family, though, you pretend to be. That is a distinction you cannot take from me."

Buffy watched the interaction between the brothers with interest. It was clear that Klaus found joy in his brother's presence, but he didn't like to be gainsaid. There was a strong bond there as well as deep hurt between the two.

"I pose no threat to your child. I like babies even though I probably cannot have any myself," Buffy said, seeking to soothe. Things would go much easier if he didn't hate her on sight.

Klaus gave her a sharp look. "Are you a vampire?" he asked.

Buffy laughed. "God, no!" she replied.

"Is she a nanny?" Klaus asked his brother.

Buffy's mouth fell open slightly at that unexpected suggestion. "Nanny? What?" she stammered, thrown by the suggestion.

"No, she is not. She is here to help me," Elijah said simply.

"Help you how? There is no help you will ever need that I cannot give," Klaus said, casting a suspicious glance at Buffy.

"She's here to keep me from killing you," Elijah announced, letting the anger show through the cold. Then he dismissed Klaus, knowing how that would anger him. "Come, Buffy. I will show you to your room."

Klaus glared at their retreating backs, his mind racing. Why would his brother bring a beautiful human into a house of vampires? Why would he bring a stranger amongst them now? He was immediately suspicious and determined to get to the bottom of it.

****** _Next Day******_

When Klaus awoke, he found his sister and brother sitting at the dining table enjoying a huge spread of breakfast. Buffy was regaling them with a story, and they were laughing. It was not to be born. He was annoyed that his brother had returned and yet still seemed determined to keep him at a distance.

"Well, isn't this a nice domestic scene?" he said, taking his normal seat at the head of the table. Elijah was on his right. Freya on his left. Buffy was sitting next to Elijah. Her plate was loaded with food. She obviously had a healthy appetite.

"Glad you could join us," Buffy said, flashing him a smile filled with warmth. The genuine welcome caught him off guard. It'd been too long since he'd felt welcome around his family. He resented her for it.

"It's not every day my brother and sister both grace the table," Klaus said. A servant held out his wrist to Klaus.

"Ah, brother, we have a human guest. Why don't you show a little decorum?" Elijah said to him. He wasn't sure the slayer would be able to restrain herself if she witnessed their brother feeding from a human.

"Never let it be said that I cannot show good manners," Klaus said with a smirk, slashing the man's wrist with his nail and pouring blood into a goblet. Buffy gave him a look of distaste. His smile grew genuine. So the little human knowingly came around vampires but found the practice of drinking blood from humans abhorrent. Interesting.

"This is you showing decorum?" Buffy asked, a note of mockery in her voice. "I guess blood bags are beneath you."

"Not at all. But this is my home. I can do as I please," Klaus said arrogantly.

"So you plan on feeding from humans in front of your human daughter?" Buffy asked. "She is human, right?" She glanced at Freya and Elijah.

"She isn't merely human," Freya said. She found Elijah's friend a welcome distraction from the tension in her new home. Freya sensed power from her—power that she had never sensed before. It both confused and intrigued her.

"She is human, but she is also a witch," Elijah said. "We do not yet know about her hybrid status."

"We know she has hybrid blood because carrying her turned Hayley into one," Klaus said.

"But she doesn't need blood to survive?" Buffy asked, curious.

"No. She is as any other baby," Elijah explained.

"Fascinating," Buffy said thoughtfully. "If you ever want to know more about your child, I know people who could probably help."

"There will be no more strangers around my child," Klaus said coldly.

"Thank you, Buffy. I know the Council has vast resources," Elijah said. "However, they may decide a child such as ours would pose too great a risk to mankind. I trust you will say nothing of her to Rupert or your friends."

"I will not," Buffy said. "However, the Council is no longer filled with sanctimonious asses. They would never harm a human, no matter her special qualities. Willow, my best friend, is the most powerful witch on the planet. She would never allow a child to be used or harmed."

Klaus grew more alarmed the more she spoke. "What is this council you speak of? Why do I not know of it?" Klaus said in annoyance.

"How do you know your friend is the most powerful witch on earth?" Freya asked without waiting for her answers to Klaus. "My aunt was over a thousand years old, and it took all of us to defeat her."

"When Willow went dark once, she almost destroyed the world. That's the kind of power she possesses. She's even stronger now as a White Witch; she can do anything she puts her mind to it," Buffy said. "She raised me from the dead once. I'd been dead for several months."

"A necromancer? We have those in New Orleans," Klaus said arrogantly. "In fact, Davina recently raised our mother from the dead. She also managed to bring back our father, whom I had to kill once again. Currently, she seeks to bring back our brother Kol."

"She is not a true necromancer," Elijah clarified. "She managed Father only because the Other Side was unstable. As the new head of the witches, she was granted power one time to bring back our brother, but we had her bring back our mother instead."

Klaus smirked. "You know that little witch is going to be gunning for us. She foolishly loves Kol and thinks he's capable of fidelity. It matters not that in the thousand years we've known him, he's never been faithful to anything or anyone," Klaus said.

"Cannot love change a person?" Freya asked.

"It can," Buffy said. "I personally had a demon fall in love with me. He fought to regain his soul, hoping I'd love him back."

"Did you?" Klaus asked, intrigued by the puzzle the woman represented.

"I did but not the way he wanted," Buffy said regretfully. "He is a good man and still a friend I can count on."

"You remain friends with an ex?" Klaus asked in surprise.

"I remain friends with all the men I've cared about," Buffy said, smiling. "You care for your daughter's mother or you wouldn't have work so hard to save her life."

A ghost of a smile traced over Klaus's lips. He gave a nod. "My little wolf has been a constant surprise. Motherhood agrees with her," he said, a note of affection in his voice.

"She is not yours, Niklaus," Elijah said in annoyance.

"She is mine more than she'll ever be yours," Klaus said bluntly. "She is married to another. A wolf marriage is sacred and will only be broken if you or I decide to kill her husband."

"We will not be killing Jackson," Elijah said firmly. "He is a good man."

"Wow, so much drama!" Buffy said in amusement as she looked between the two brothers. She sensed that Elijah cared more than he probably should for his niece's mother. Klaus didn't seem too jealous, so the baby must not have been the result of love. Still, the tension was high, so she sought a way to dispel it. She glanced at Freya. "Shall we leave the brothers to their squabbling and go shopping in town? I love shopping!"

"I have not been shopping in over a century," Freya said, looking down at her clothes. "My sister gave me these."

"Our sister Rebekah has two entire rooms full of nothing but clothes. You are welcome to them," Klaus said in amusement.

"A girl wants clothes of her own," Buffy said, giving Freya an easy smile. "She can begin working on filling her own closets."

Freya was unsure how to handle Buffy's genuine warmth and extension of friendship. Her aunt had only allowed her to live one year every century, thus slowly her aging. However, Dahlia allowed only herself to be close to her. Freya had never had a friend before Rebekah, but she was her sister. She gave Buffy a shy smile. "I'd like that," she said. Perhaps, Elijah's new friend would be her friend, too.

Looking at Freya, Buffy was struck by how much she reminded her of Tara—her blonde hair and hunched shoulders, the underlying sense of power. On Tara, the power had been gentle and warm, soothing. On this woman, however, it was strong and chaotic. Buffy doubted the woman knew who she was yet.

"I would be happy to escort you around the city," Elijah offered.

"I think a girls' day is in order," Buffy said. "I will call Cami."

Klaus looked dumbstruck at the mention of Cami's name. "You have been in town less than a day and are already acquainted with Camille?" he asked. He wanted to rail that she was his friend and thus could not be hers. However, he knew how childish that would be.

"I took her to Rousseau's for dinner when she arrived yesterday. Camille was working," Elijah explained with a small smile. He knew how possessive Klaus was about people he deemed his. Regardless of the lack of sexual intimacy between them, Klaus considered Cami his.

"And how did you find Cami?" Klaus asked. He knew that he had hurt her deeply in his mad scheme to stop their aunt. The woman had such faith in him, and he'd let her down in a most brutal fashion. A human was too fragile to love—he knew this. He kept her at arm's length for a reason. However, he craved her acceptance for some reason.

"I found her intelligent, down-to-earth, and friendly," Buffy said. "We have a lot in common."

"You have a master's in psychology, too?" Klaus asked in surprise.

"A bachelor's only. I never liked school enough to go any more than that. It took enough effort to finish my degree to begin with," Buffy shared.

"How did you get into psychology?" Elijah inquired, finding her surprisingly complicated.

"I finished three semesters of college in California before my mother got sick with a brain tumor. I had to drop out to care for her. Then she died of a brain aneurysm. I had to care for my younger sister and work. I eventually got a job as a teen counselor at the high school. I kind of liked helping them, so when things finally settled down, I went back to school," she explained.

"Where did you attend?" Elijah asked, interested in her. Rupert had only divulged the basics.

"Oxford. That's where Will went to graduate school, and I was living in England at the time," she shared. "My grades weren't great, but my test scores were. Plus, my mentor Giles had connections there."

Elijah was impressed. The school was very exclusive.

"I never got to attend school," Freya said sadly.

"Our sister Rebekah amused herself attending high school in Mystic Falls," Klaus told her. "I'm sure you could go to school if you wanted."

"But perhaps not high school," Elijah said, smiling at her.

"You'll have to get your GED first—that's your high school equivalency. I can help with that," Buffy said. Many of the slayers ended up having to go that route, so she was very familiar with the process.

Freya didn't know what to think of the woman's kindness. It was beyond her experience. Elijah gave her a look of understanding. "It's okay, sister. You can trust Buffy," he said.

"And how do you know that? How long have you known this woman you are entrusting our lives to? My daughter's life?" Klaus asked sullenly.

"I only met Buffy yesterday," Elijah confessed, surprising both siblings.

Sensing an explosion of anger and outrage about to burst forth, Buffy decided more of an explanation was in order. "Elijah once saved the life of my almost father. If he hadn't saved Giles, I'm sure I'd be dead by now," Buffy shared.

"How can someone be an almost father?" Freya asked, confused. The new world was so strange and different.

"My father mostly abandoned Dawn and me when he divorced my mother. He didn't even call us when Mom died. Giles came into my life at school as our librarian. I was a sophomore in high school. He's been there ever since," Buffy said. "I depend on him."

"How do you know that Elijah can be trusted?" Klaus asked mockingly. "After all, he is a vampire."

"Well, two of the best men I have ever known have been vampires," Buffy replied, giving him an easy smile. "But they were a different kind. The kind that is more ancient than your family. The kind with a demon in them."

"I have never heard of such things," Freya said, frowning.

"I saved Rupert from a demon, not a vampire," Elijah revealed.

"When was this and why do I not know of it?" Klaus asked, looking hurt.

Buffy bit back a smile. How can someone so ancient be so needy? She never considered that freezing a person into vampire form at a young age would keep the mind from fully maturing and developing. However, Klaus had clear signs of immaturity that was unexpected in one so ancient. Elijah was obviously a few years older, thus he had better control and maturity. Giles would be fascinated by the family dynamic. She couldn't help but wonder if the werewolf nature combined with the vampire side of Klaus made him more erratic and volatile.

"It was when you became so insufferable in the eighties that I left you for a few decades," Elijah said. "I was in Wales when I came across Rupert nearly being eaten by a giant squid-like creature. He and I spent some time together. I know he is a man to be trusted. Relax, Niklaus. I would never bring a threat into our home. You should know me better than that."

Niklaus did trust his brother—more than he trusted anyone. Yet the sting of his recent betrayal still lingered. He knew Elijah daggered him, convinced that it was best for Hope's safety. However, the insult of that grated him greatly. "I thought I did. But then you turned around and betrayed me by literally sticking a dagger in my heart!" Klaus said angrily.

"Come now, Niklaus. Hypocrisy should be beneath you. How many times did you dagger your siblings—even myself? Poor Finn spent 900 years in a coffin, Kol a few centuries. Even Rebekah, our youngest sister and the only woman ever devoted to you, you daggered decades at a time," Elijah said.

"For their own good, as you well know!" Klaus fumed.

"Yet you've done it to me twice in the past few years, neither time was for my own good but for yours," Elijah said coldly. "What I did was for the good of all. You insist on being petty and secretive and confessing to killing our allies when you did not. I will not apologize for doing what's necessary."

"Maybe you should apologize for hurting his feelings," Buffy said, interjecting into the argument. Beneath the anger from Klaus, she sensed a deep hurt. The hurt was probably was pushed him to act so irrationally.

"Hurting my feelings?" Klaus said, offended at the suggestion. "Am I child or a woman?"

"Hey, this is the twenty-first century, bucko. That antiquated sexism has no place in it!" Buffy said, offended.

Elijah laughed, enjoying her immensely.

"You mock me?" Klaus asked his brother.

"Must you take everything so personally, brother? It is most tiresome," Elijah said. "My amusement is because Rebekah has been saying similar things for a while now. She would enjoy this."

The mention of the sister that he loved did make Klaus smile. "Yes, she probably would," he acknowledged.

"I never seek to hurt you, brother. Surely you know that," Elijah told him. "However, I am unsure you could say the same."

Klaus frowned at the accusation. However, his brother wasn't completely wrong. A part of him had wanted to hurt him for his betrayal. Yet he had not sought to kill his brother's lover. He looked up at Elijah. "I did not seek to harm Gia, brother. She was there with Marcel when Dahlia and I arrived. I knew that I had to kill one of them or Dahlia would grow suspicious," he admitted.

"An innocent young girl was your first choice?" Elijah said.

Looking uncomfortable for the first time, Klaus admitted, "I could not kill Marcel."

Elijah knew that, of course. He just wasn't sure his brother would admit it. He decided to accept the olive branch. "So, brother, shall we escort the ladies shopping?" he suggested. "After all, our sister doesn't yet have her own credit card."

Freya was surprised by the swift turn around between her brothers. It made her head spin. However, she'd been inside their heads. She knew this was the way it was between the brothers. They fought like dogs. It was strange, though, to witness the turn around.

Klaus smiled, flashing his dimples. "I guess they will need someone to carry their bags," he acknowledged.

Buffy looked at him in awe, drawing his attention.

"What is wrong?" he asked, bracing himself for her rejection of his presence.

"You have dimples! I have never seen a vampire with dimples! It's so adorable!" she said, flashing him a smile. She couldn't resist commenting on them, watching and delighting in his surprise. She wasn't sure that this big bad wolf was so bad.

Elijah laughed at his brother's discomfort. Bringing the slayer to town was just what their family needed. She would keep Niklaus off guard and out of trouble. She would also be a powerful ally. Already, she'd managed to completely disarm their brother. When she gave Elijah a mischievous smile, he felt something warm inside grow.

Maybe Klaus wasn't the only one caught off guard by her.

****** _Chapter End******_

 _This chapter was basically twice as long as the other, so I expect twice as many reviews!_ J _I hope my Freya portrayal seems right. We don't know her as well yet, so it's a bit of a challenge. I am using Buffy a bit to share some of my own thoughts about Klaus' repeated immature actions. Forgive me if it seems a bit much!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Family Dynamics

****** _Where We Left Off******_

Elijah and Klaus followed the three women as they went from shop to shop. The three women seemed to be getting on famously.

"I never saw this as the way I'd be spending my morning," Klaus said to Elijah.

"I don't know. I think pack mule suits you," Elijah said, smiling.

"Are you sure that we can trust this woman?" Klaus asked Elijah.

"I take full responsibility for her," Elijah said. "Do not worry, brother. She will not harm this family."

Klaus didn't know what to make of the woman who so easily won over Cami, a woman who saw so easily the things Klaus would hide. Even Freya, who was more suspicious than Klaus, seemed to relax in her presence.

The women went into a shop. Buffy was having a good time. Cami wasn't really like anyone she knew. She was serious, intelligent, but she knew how to cut loose and have fun. She was very pretty, but not in the common way. She was big boned and taller than Buffy with a strong jaw. Like Buffy, she had blonde hair and green eyes. Freya, on the other hand, was hard to figure out. She had hair that reminded Buffy of Tara. In many ways, her personality also reminded Buffy of Tara. At times, she was shy and hesitant, unsure of what to do or say. Other times, she spoke with extreme confidence. She even looked like Tara. The same straight, sandy blonde hair and blue eyes—although Freya's were almost gray and more distinct than Tara's had been. Sometimes she seemed a bit overwhelmed with the fast pace of the modern world. However, Buffy figured it take the poor woman a while to feel and be normal after what all she'd been through.

A woman was in the shop and approached Freya. "Freya Mikaelson, have you decided?" the woman asked Freya.

"Excuse me?" Freya replied.

"I am a part of the coven that recently welcomed you," the woman said. "My name is Tamara."

"I'm sorry," Freya said, giving her a shy smile. "There were so many to meet."

"It's understandable," the dark-skinned woman said. "However, I would like to know what you've decided."

"About what?" Freya asked. She glanced at Cami and Buffy who had moved to stand behind her, giving her their silent support. It wasn't a feeling she was used to.

"Do you stand with your sister witches or will you stand with your brothers?" Tamara asked.

Freya blinked, not expecting the question. "Why would you ask me that?" she asked.

"Because Davina has unified all the covens, and she is not afraid of the Mikaelsons," Tamara said with satisfaction.

"We are not her enemy," Freya said.

"Does that mean you are standing with your brothers?" Tamara asked.

"I barely know my brothers," Freya said. "Elijah, though, is a good man. He would never seek to harm Davina."

"Yet it is Klaus that goes around terrorizing everyone," Tamara said.

Buffy moved to stand next to Freya. "You don't need to worry about Klaus. He's my problem," Buffy said. "You tell your leader that if she wants to talk to Freya about her intentions, she can very well approach her herself."

Tamara didn't know who the new woman was, but she sensed power—a great deal of power. "Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Buffy. That's all you need to know," Buffy said. "Ladies, I think we're done. It's time for lunch."

They walked out of the shop without purchasing anything. The brothers were waiting. "Nothing suited your fancy in there?" Klaus asked.

"There was a witch asking Freya questions," Buffy said.

Both men straightened and looked alert. "Who was it?" Elijah asked.

"What did she want?" Klaus asked.

"She wanted to know if I planned on siding with my coven or with my family," Freya said.

"That's a very good question," Klaus said grimly. "One I'd like to know the answer to."

"You will not insult our sister," Elijah said with a disapproving frown. "She has been in our minds. She knows the vows we've taken. Family: always and forever. She is our sister and will stand with us."

Freya looked at her brother in awe. He was both unexpected and exactly what she'd expected. Freya had watched from a distance over the centuries and knew of his loyalty to his siblings. She had never expected it to extend to her—not so easily and without reservation. Klaus, of course, was suspicious like she expected. She rolled her eyes. "Must you always view me with such suspicion?" she asked Klaus.

"Probably for the next century or so," Klaus admitted with a smirk. "It is my nature to expect betrayal."

"If you always look for betrayal, you will always find it," Buffy said knowingly. Then she changed the subject. "I'm hungry."

"Already?" Klaus asked in surprise. "You ate enough for three people at breakfast."

Cami gave him a look of disapproval. "There's nothing wrong with a woman having a healthy appetite," she informed him. "I would enjoy some lunch myself."

Elijah smiled will Klaus snickered. "I know just the spot," Elijah said, leading them.

"I don't get why the witches expect you to side against your brothers," Buffy said as they walked. "Shouldn't the coven be bound by sacred vows to protect you and your family?"

"Yes, they should," Freya said.

"Had a lot of experiences with covens?" Klaus asked, trying to learn more of her.

"Not many American covens, mostly those in Europe—Great Britain mostly," Buffy said. "My best friend wasn't really a part of a coven, but a coven helped her a lot."

"Why wasn't she a part of a coven?" Cami asked.

"They never trusted her enough to really allow her to join," Buffy said with a frown. "When someone she loves gets hurt, she goes a bit postal." Buffy looked at Klaus and smiled. "You and she would get along very well."

Klaus still didn't know what to think of this woman. She was warm and open, reminding him of his sweet Caroline. However, he sensed power in her somehow. It made him wary. He watched how Elijah responded to her. His brother was enchanted by her. Klaus knew that he would never be okay with his brother loving the mother of his child. However, this new woman could be a nice distraction from Gia and his little wolf. For his brother's sake, Klaus hoped the woman would continue to be an ally because he'd hurt his brother enough. Although he tried to pretend it didn't matter, it did. He hated the distance between them. Although he'd grown used to the look of disappointment on his brother's face, he'd never grown comfortable with it.

One day, he feared, his brother would give up on him and walk away for good. Then he'd truly be all alone. Klaus dreaded that day, but he thought it was inevitable.

****** _Later That Night******_

Buffy walked around the huge three story compound the Mikaelsons called home. It reminded her of their slayer house in England. The formality of the Mikaelsons reminded her of Giles and some of their British friends. She was restless. Normally, when she felt like this, she'd go slaying. However, in a town full of vampires with souls, she didn't think that would be a good idea.

"Can't sleep?" Elijah asked, appearing in a room devoid of furniture but paintings on the wall. She was looking at them.

"No. I have too much energy—a slayer perk," she said. She stopped at a painting that looked particularly lonely. "These paintings make me sad."

"They are Niklaus'," Elijah said.

"His collection?" she assumed.

"No, his paintings. He spends much of his free time paining. It soothes him," Elijah shared.

"Really? He's an artist?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"He is," Elijah said with a nod.

"Your brother is a total freakazoid," Buffy said with a laugh. Klaus was constantly defying her expectations. Finding out that he could create art surprised her. Giles would be equally fascinated.

"Freakazoid? I'm not familiar with that word," Elijah said, smiling at her.

"It means weirdo. Contradiction," Buffy said.

She found a long box in the corner and opened it up. There were fencing swords in it. "Oooh! I totally need to play with these."

"Do you fence?" Elijah asked in surprise.

"There's no weapon I am not a master of. It's part of the slayer package," Buffy said, pulling one out. "Unfortunately, however, I killed my first lover with a sword after an intense sword fight."

"Tragic," Elijah said with sympathy.

"He was a vampire with a soul that had a Gypsy curse we didn't know about until it was too late," Buffy shared. "One moment of happiness with me, and he reverted to his demon vampire self. Then he killed and terrorized my friends before trying to destroy the world."

"That makes you more than qualified to handle Niklaus," Elijah said. Killing a lover was no easy task. This slayer was full of so much strength—not just the physical kind.

"Yes, I can handle your brother. He's not so bad," Buffy said, slashing the sword. "He loves his family and his daughter. He even cares about his baby momma. And he creates art. I don't think he's a true sociopath."

"No. He feels remorse at times," Elijah said in agreement. "I'm not sure he cares much for Hayley, though. He cursed her as a wolf."

"Would your aunt have killed her?" Buffy asked.

"Possibly," Elijah acknowledged.

"Then he probably did save her life and the life of her pack with his plan—as horrendous as it was," Buffy said. She knew that being a leader meant making the hard choices. More than once, Buffy had been called upon to do so. She could both sympathize and understand Klaus' choice. However, if it had been someone she'd loved, she wasn't sure she'd be so understanding. "So, do you want to give me a work-out? I have energy to burn."

Klaus had been nearby, spying on the new guest with Elijah. Hearing the woman defend him when she didn't even know him gratified him. She referred to herself as a slayer. He must find out what it is. Watching her battle his brother should give him some answers.

Elijah tried to hand her the face guard, and she scoffed. "I won't need that," she said dismissively.

"I was a master swordsman before I was a vampire," Elijah said.

"I'll try not to embarrass you too much," Buffy said with a smirk.

Klaus watched with interest as Buffy took a fighting stance. It was obvious she was no amateur. Then they began to spar. They parried and danced around a bit, getting a feel for one another. Then Buffy got a glint in her eye and pushed forward in an attack. Furiously, they exchanged hits in a blur of speed that no human eye would be able to follow. Klaus stepped through the door to get a better look. A human should not be able to move like she did. Buffy must've gotten bored with the sword play because she kicked out with her leg, knocking Elijah back, which caused him to stumble. Then she swung her sword and managed to knock his sword out of his hand.

Elijah regarded her in silence a moment. Then he said, "You are really quite extraordinary."

Klaus clapped, getting their attention for the first time. "That was quite impressive," he said, stepping closer. "It's clear that you're not exactly human. What are you? What is a _slayer_?"

Buffy and Elijah exchanged silent communication, which annoyed him. Elijah gave her a nod of resignation. Klaus had seen too much to keep her secret under wraps. He'd become impossible until he learned the truth. Buffy looked at Klaus. "I am a vampire slayer. Once upon a time I used to be _the_ vampire slayer, the chosen one. Called and empowered to fight the forces of darkness, killing vampires and demons that seek to end the world and enslave humans," she said. "But I died once for a few minutes and then there were two of us. When Kendra was killed, there was Faith. Faith and I battled the First Evil about five years ago, and Willow activated all potential slayers. I am the anchor to the line. As long as slayers live, I cannot be killed. The more time goes by, the stronger I become."

Klaus looked incredulous. He stepped forward, glaring at both of them. "You bring a super powered vampire slayer into our home? Have you lost your bloody mind?" Klaus asked angrily.

"Relax, brother," Elijah said easily. "Not only can we not be killed even by a vampire slayer, she is not here to kill anyone."

Realization dawned on Klaus. Rage filled him, and he attacked his brother, knocking him against the wall. "How dare you!" Klaus screamed. "You think to contain me! You think to bring in a slayer to punish me! I will not be controlled!"

Elijah straightened up slowly, smoothing his suit. "Must you always strike out like a child? It is most tiresome," he said with a sigh.

"I'll strike out like a child when you insist on treating me like an unruly one!" Klaus fumed.

Buffy couldn't contain her mirth and started laughing. Klaus glared at her. "You dare laugh? You think you can control me? _Me!_ " he exclaimed angrily, pointing at his chest.

Buffy lost the mirth and walked toward him, steel in her eyes. "I _will_ laugh when a thousand-year-old vampire acts like a spoiled child who got his feelings hurt. I _will_ laugh when you throw a tantrum and knock your brother around—a brother who loves you despite the crap you put him through!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Is that why you are here? To try and contain me?" Klaus asked accusingly.

"I'm here because Giles asked me to be," Buffy said.

Elijah interrupted. "I got it from here, Buffy," he said to her. He faced his brother. "Niklaus, I did ask the slayer to come because I grow weary of dealing with you alone."

"Forgive me for being such a burden. You can leave anytime you grow too tired to deal with me!" Klaus fumed.

Elijah was resigned. He stepped closer, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I do not seek to hurt you as you did me by killing Gia—say what you will. You chose her method of death to be as gruesome as possible to hurt me," Elijah said. "I do not seek vengeance. I do not want to fight with you, Niklaus. Yet something must be done about your destructive displays of temper."

Klaus shrugged Elijah's hand away, stepping back. "Forgive me if I show anger when the brother that I trust more than any other shoves a dagger into my heart!" he exclaimed.

"Now you know how it feels. Not very pleasant, is it, brother?" Elijah asked with a smirk.

Klaus refused to acknowledge his brother's words and gave one final glare but said nothing more before stomping off.

Elijah watched him leave with a sigh. "As you can see, my brother is very difficult," Elijah said.

"You hurt him. He looks up to you. I suspect you are the one person in the world he doesn't expect to hurt him. When you do, he takes it very badly," Buffy said in understanding. Somehow, she understood Klaus, who seemed uncomplicated when it came to his motivations. He wore his emotions on his sleeves—unlike Elijah, who seemed to have many more hidden depths. She never knew what he was thinking. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to know what his thoughts were. He was equally fascinating as his brother.

"I never seek to hurt him, but sometimes it's necessary," Elijah said, rubbing his hand over his eyes.

"Family dynamics are never simple," Buffy said. "I have a little sister who has tremendous power that many people seem to want. I spent years saving and protecting her. Finally, people realized how stupid it is to go after my sister, and I could leave her alone for more than a month at a time."

Elijah smiled, enjoying learning about her. "Where is your sister now?" he asked.

"She is in New York with her husband, and my two-year-old niece," Buffy said proudly.

"Ah, you are an aunt. It's great, isn't it?" Elijah said. "Hope has brought more happiness to this family than we've seen in all the time we've been vampires."

"Yes, it's pretty awesome," Buffy said smiling. "Dawn named her Joyce Ann after me and our mom. My middle name is Ann. We call her Joy. That's what she has brought us—joy."

Elijah smiled in understanding. "That's exactly what Hope has done for us—brought us hope for the future," Elijah said. "Until my mother returned in a human body and brought back our brother Kol with her, there were no humans in our family. No possibility of a real future for our family. Then we had Freya restored to us—a human who could have a child someday if she chooses. Our family's future doesn't seem so bleak anymore. Even Rebekah can decide to stay human and have a family if she wants."

Buffy smiled. "That's nice," she said. "I'm glad for you."

"What about you?" Elijah asked. "Do you want to have a family some day?"

Buffy gave him a bittersweet smile. "I don't think it's in the cards. Who knows what would happen to the child? If the baby's normal, I'll just get to outlive it. That's assuming I could get pregnant. I've never tried," she shared.

Elijah gave her a look of sympathy. Somehow, he felt a kinship with this slip of a girl who had come into his world almost by accident. "That makes the family we have even more precious," Elijah said.

"Very true," she agreed. "Thanks for the workout."

Elijah smiled. "Anytime," he said, reluctant to say goodnight.

Buffy stared at him a moment, feeling a connection to him that was unexpected. She smiled and raised up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. "Good night, Elijah," she said.

"Good night," he said, surprised by her gesture. He put his hand to his cheek as she walked away. He could still feel her touch. She was unlike any other. Totally unexpected. For the first time in a very long time, Elijah wasn't sure how to proceed.

***** _Chapter End*****_

 _Sometimes when watching Klaus on TV, I want to respond like Buffy in this chapter. I think an outsider with tremendous power like her would see amusement in Klaus' immaturity. I hope you enjoyed this and aren't disappointed that I didn't drag out Klaus not knowing what she was longer. He's too brilliant to be in the dark for long. Remember season 2 of VD. He's a man who ALWAYS has a plan and always knows how to find a person's weakness and exploit it. I think Elijah knows this and would decide it wiser to clue him in. Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Klaus

***** _The Next Day*****_

Klaus awoke and fed his beautiful baby girl. He spoke to her as she drank her bottle.

"Your Uncle Elijah is determined to stay angry and make me suffer. All I did was protect everyone and keep you and your mother alive. What thanks do I get?" he asked.

Hope, of course, didn't answer as she sucked greedily on her bottle. However, her eyes were open and watching him as she fed. They seemed so full of wisdom. It may be a fanciful thought, but it was his thought as he gazed down at her. He felt such an intense love for her. It was unlike any emotion he'd ever felt in his life. Klaus had begun to think that love in its purest form was beyond him. It was gratifying to know that was not the case.

Worry for his daughter, though, was never far from his mind. Contrary to what Elijah or others might think, he had no desire to keep Haley from their daughter. He knew that he had alienated the witches by tricking Davina. That was one of many wrongs he had done the young witch. She would aid him no further. There was none in New Orleans that would aid him by breaking the curse Haley and her pack were under. His sister would try, but he did not know if it was something she could do.

As he laid his daughter back in her crib, he considered the presence of the slayer in their home. Although it galled him to no end, the woman's presence in his home may be fortuitous. If they were going to have problems, it couldn't hurt to have a woman with her skill set close at hand. Elijah trusted her, and Elijah had high standards. Klaus would watch her and see if she proved to be an ally. If she proved trustworthy, maybe he'd see about enlisting her witch friend to help Hayley and her wolves.

A few hours later, he went to Rousseau's to see Cami, but she wasn't there. Growing concerned, he went to her apartment. Through the balcony door, he saw that she was inside unharmed. He knocked. Startled, she looked up. She frowned as she opened her balcony door.

"Why are you on my balconey? Why can't you use the front door like a normal person?" she asked crossly. She folded her arms across her chest, eying him expectantly.

"I am not a normal person," he said simply. "May I come in?"

"Why?" she asked.

"Come on, Cami. I want to speak with you," he said. "You weren't at work."

Cami rolled her eyes. "I don't live at the bar, you know," she said. "Come in if you want."

Klaus thought back to their encounter weeks ago. She had bravely come to his home when his Aunt Dahlia had been there. She had believed his act that he'd gone rogue and aligned himself with Dahlia, yet she'd still sought to save him. When she'd face him and told him that she knew he'd never hurt her, he'd never hated himself so much. Then he'd bit her. It didn't matter that he had a reason. He'd violated her trust. No one besides Elijah had ever had the faith in him that this young human did. He didn't understand where she found her compassion—she was full of it. Klaus had tried to get her to leave town more than once the past year. He had known it was inevitable that he'd either hurt her or betray her in some fashion. He'd managed to do both. He had never wanted to see that look in her eye that she had that night. Nor did he want the wariness she now had toward him. Normally, he wasn't one for bridge building or reconciliations, but he wasn't ready to lose her. She'd become very important to him since he'd moved back to this city.

Cami stared at him, trying to hold on to her distance. However, it was so hard with him. For some reason, she'd always been able to see through his mask. Or rather he'd always let her. The man was a thousand years old, a master of deception, and for some reason, he was driven to be brutally honest with her. Hell, both the brothers were. Elijah shared things with her that he'd never even revealed to Klaus. It was a strange dichotomy.

Cami knew that Elijah spoke to her mainly because he trusted her, and she was training to be a psychologist. Klaus, though, she never understood. He'd been the one to seek her out from the beginning. Then he blurted all his dark secrets. Sure, he used compulsion and wiped her memories at the time, but he'd still felt a need to connect with her. Cami didn't really know why he'd chosen her. He was lonely, she supposed.

"Why are you here?" she finally asked when he just gazed pensively at her without speaking.

"Do you hate me?" Klaus asked her, prepared for her rejection.

Cami's gaze softened, and she moved closer toward him. "I could never hate you," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

Cami was unable to hold his gaze as she shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe because I understand pain and loss. I may not be a vampire or hundreds of years old, but I know what it's like to feel completely alone," she said.

"You're not alone," Klaus said meaningfully.

"You have brothers, Klaus, but you don't have a twin. You don't know what it's like to have a twin who knows you better than you know yourself. Who's always there. Until he's not," Cami shared, looking haunted. Klaus despised the look in her eyes. "He's gone. Driven away by a hex that drove him mad and turned him into a mass murderer. My sweet, gentle brother will be remembered as an evil man who took lives. He's been gone over a year, and I still feel like a part of me is missing. You will never know the pain of that kind of loss."

Klaus acknowledged her words with a respectful silence. Then he said, "You've spent some time around vampires, but I don't know if you are aware just how intensely we feel things. Everything is magnified as a vampire. We feel everything much more than humans. Love consumes us. Hate burns us from the inside. A wrong we feel deep in our soul. I don't have a twin. But I've always had Rebekah and Elijah. Now I've driven them both away. I know about loss." He turned away from her, looking out her balcony.

"Rebekah isn't gone for good. You know she'll come back when you need her just like she did the last time you drove her away," Cami pointed out. "And Elijah isn't going anywhere. He's determined to save you."

Klaus faced her with a frown. "He brought Buffy here to keep me in line," Klaus revealed.

Cami laughed. "How is she supposed to do that?" she wondered.

"She's not as harmless as she appears," Klaus said, debating on what to share. However, he wanted her sympathy, so he told her the truth. "She's a mystically empowered vampire slayer."

Cami feigned surprise. There was no point in angering Klaus by revealing she sort of knew that already. Then she snickered. "Poor Klaus. You can't step out of line without big brother calling in a big scary vampire slayer. However will the immortal, extremely powerful hybrid manage?" she asked with wide eyes.

Klaus gave her a rueful smile. Her mockery contained no malice, only humor. "Laugh now. If you'd seen her defeat my brother, who's a master swordsman, at fencing, you'd not be so amused," Klaus said with a slight pout.

Cami tried valiantly to contain her amusement. "Well, I like her," she said.

"You would," Klaus replied with a glare.

"Is that why you're here? To complain about Buffy and how Elijah's wronged you?" Cami asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Mock me all you want, but it's true. My brother seeks to contain me and brought in someone he believes can do it!" Klaus said with a frown.

"Well, she seems reasonable. Don't go around biting the werewolves of the French Quarter or slaughtering the humans, and I'm sure she'll leave you alone," Cami said in amusement.

Klaus scoffed. "Like I'd waste my energy on something so boring!" he protested.

"Says the man who bit his own brother several months ago, out of spite," Cami reminded him.

"He annoyed me and deserved it," Klaus said, trying hard to hang on to his annoyance. However, it was impossible when faced with her look of amusement. He adored the twinkle of amusement in her eyes. It was rarely displayed. The woman was entirely too serious most days. The despair he'd seen as she talked about her brother was gone. He felt pleasure for making her smile.

"Did he deserve to lose Gia, too?" Cami asked, serious again.

A pang of guilt showed in his expression, and then it was gone, but Cami saw it. Because she did see it, she knew he wasn't lost. For some reason, she felt compelled to save the lost ones. She couldn't save her brother or her uncle. But maybe she could save Klaus. She ignored the voice inside that warned her that saving him could lead to her own destruction. She'd always had a soft spot for the bad boys.

"I had no choice!" Klaus said defensively. "I had to kill her or Marcel. Call me selfish, but I chose the woman we barely know instead of the man I raised as my son for over 200 years!"

Cami didn't say anything, she just stared at him, waiting him out. It was an effective technique when dealing with vampires she had discovered—Klaus in particular.

Klaus moved close enough to touch her, reaching out and putting his hand on her shoulder. "But I _am_ sorry, Cami, for hurting you," he said. "If I could've found another way, I would have."

Cami gave him a searching look. Then she nodded. "I know," she said simply.

"Forgive me?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. It was that simple. She'd always been attracted to the bad boys that would inevitably break her heart, but she was powerless to resist the baddest boy of all. Klaus Mikaelson would either be her salvation or her destruction.

A warm smile bloomed on his face, and he kissed her cheek before blurring away. Cami's hand went to her cheek where his lips had lingered for a brief second. He'd never kissed her before.

What did that mean?

***** _A Few Hours Later*****_

Klaus returned home a few hours later. He'd painted on the street, an action that never failed to sooth him. He found his sister and Elijah giving his daughter a bath—something he should've done before he'd left. Annoyance with himself caused a bite to his words as he greeted his family.

"Well, isn't this a quant family scene," he said as he stood in the doorway of the bathroom.

"I got her this new bath chair that helps her sit up while you bath her," Elijah said. "Now you can bathe her more easily by yourself. Something you'll have to do now that her mother can only be here three nights a month."

"Are you going to keep bringing that up? You think I wanted to curse the mother of my child?" Klaus demanded, offended.

Elijah straightened, turning the finishing of the bath over to his sister. He rolled down his shirt sleeves as he regarded Klaus. "I have no idea what you hoped to accomplish with that action," he admitted.

"I was trying to save her life and the life of her pack! My solution was cruel, but at least she's alive. Dahlia was going to kill her and anyone who dared keep Hope from her," Klaus said, annoyed that he had to keep defending himself. It galled him that his family kept questioning him. Once, they used to do whatever he said without question. He missed those days.

"Maybe so, brother, but your timing couldn't be worse," Elijah said. "We've no more allies amongst the witches in this city now that Davina has taken control."

"We have our sister," Klaus said, pointing to Freya. "She's more knowledgeable and more powerful than that child."

Freya picked Hope up from the bath and wrapped a towel around her. "More knowledgeable yes. More powerful? Doubtful," Freya said. "Combining all the covens in the Quarter is a move I've never heard witches in this city do in the brief visits I've made over the past few centuries."

"It has never occurred," Elijah added.

"As the head of such a group, Davina will have access to all types of magics. Already extremely powerful in her own right, now she will be unstoppable," Freya said.

"That means, brother, don't go out of your way to piss her off," Elijah said, taking Hope from Freya and taking her to the connecting bedroom to dress her.

Klaus gave his back a disgruntled glare. Then he looked at Freya. "You cannot do anything?" he asked.

"I will try, brother. It'll take some time, but I will work to secure alliances in the coven," she said. "Can you manage to not go out of your way to cause trouble?"

Klaus smirked. "I will try, sister," he replied, echoing her words. He could be diplomatic when the need called for it. He would play nice.

For now.

***** _Chapter End*****_

 _I hope you enjoyed this update even though Buffy wasn't in it. However, her presence is still felt. Reviews are much appreciated. Thanks!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Davina

***** _The Next Day*****_

Davina was getting frustrated because she hadn't had any success in bringing Kol back. Every time she failed, she got angrier at the Mikaelsons for stealing Kol's ashes and swapping them out for Esther's. She didn't care that it had been for a good reason. It was just another example of the Mikaelsons doing whatever the hell they wanted to regardless of how it hurt others. She thought about creating another dagger that would work to immobilize Klaus. However, she had just become head of the covens. If she went after Klaus, she'd have to be ready to take on Elijah and Freya. She wasn't sure Freya would stand with her brothers against the witches since she was one of them. However, she'd betrayed her aunt, who was a witch, to stand with her siblings to protect the baby. The witch's alliance was uncertain. Some of the covens were already wanting Davina to confront her and have her choose a clear side. However, Davina wasn't sure that was the right move now. She decided it would be best to let things play out.

Davina thought about the baby. Hope was an innocent, an enigma. Her blood turned her mother Hayley into a hybrid, so she was part vampire. However, her aunt Dahlia had sought her desperately so that she could channel the magic in the baby. That meant she was also part witch, but Davina would never seek to use a child. She'd been used so badly by her own coven—literally sacrificed. She'd never use Hope to hurt his father. Poor Hayley was cursed to stay in wolf form until the full moon. Davina felt for the woman, but she was done helping the Mikaelsons. Well, except for Kol. She would bring him back because she loved him. They would be together. She ignored the voice inside that said if he came back as a vampire, he'd not be the boy she loved anymore.

She was going to do this. There wasn't room for doubts.

***** _Mikaelsons******_

Buffy came into the den or living room (she wasn't sure what to call it since there was no TV in the house) and stopped at the strange sight. All three Mikaelsons were in various spots in the room—Klaus and Freya in chairs and Elijah on the couch—reading. They all were reading. She grinned at the picture. Giles, Dawn, and Angel were the only ones she knew who would frequently spend hours lost in books. She stepped into the room and flopped down on the couch next to Elijah.

"Whatcha reading?" she asked, grinning up at him.

Elijah smiled at her. _"Paradise Lost,"_ he said. "Have you read it?"

"Reading requires sitting still. Slayers aren't very good at that. Maybe the movie version? I can do that. Is there a movie version?" she asked brightly.

"'It is better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.' Lucifer is my kind of guy," Klaus said, grinning as he quoted the most famous line in the poem.

"Lucifer as in Satan?" Buffy asked, blinking in surprise. Even though she'd been fighting real evil for a decade, the concept of the Christian version of Satan was still creepy.

"The poem is about Lucifer's fall from heaven and subsequent turning into the devil," Elijah explained.

"Giles hates when I interrupt his reading. Should I leave?" Buffy asked.

"Of course not," Elijah said, closing his book and smiling at her. "Your company is a welcome distraction. I've read this poem many times."

Buffy looked at Klaus. "What are you reading?" she asked him.

" _War and Peace,"_ Klaus said, smirking.

Buffy laughed. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" she asked.

"How about you, Freya? What are you reading?" Buffy asked the witch.

Freya looked embarrassed. _"Pride and Prejudice,"_ she said.

Buffy's eyes lit up. "Oh, that's a good one! I've actually read that one!" she exclaimed.

"I thought you couldn't read?" Klaus teased.

"I can read!" Buffy said with a pout. "I just don't read a lot of books. I read that one in high school." There was no point in sharing how most of her reading time was spent in researching Big Bads and ways to stop upcoming apocalypses.

Klaus laughed. "Glad to see that schools still teach the classics," he said.

"My high school was on a hellmouth. Not a lot of learning went on. Too many dead bodies," Buffy said.

Freya wasn't sure if she was joking or not. "Is that common in America schools?" she asked.

Buffy frowned. "Well, actually, in some today that is unfortunately true. But not so much when I was in school. Then deaths in schools were very rare," she said. "Oh, we totally have to watch the BBC version of that book. You're totally going to love Colin Firth. He's so dreamy!"

"Dreamy?" Freya asked, unsure what she meant.

"You know. So hot and sexy and gentleman-like that he makes you sigh and dream dreams about having a happy with him!" Buffy exclaimed with a smirk.

Freya looked shocked and glanced at her brothers, who were both amused by Buffy. She relaxed when she realized they weren't even looking at her. "I've not seen very many movies," she admitted.

"I'm not surprised since there's no TV in this house," Buffy said, looking at the brothers.

"Oh, there's a TV," Elijah said.

"You own a television?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"We saw the entire evolution of television and motion pictures," Klaus said arrogantly. "Of course, there's a TV."

Buffy looked around the room, not seeing one. "Where do you hide it?" she asked.

Klaus reached over to the coffee table next to him and picked up a small remote. He aimed it at the wall about the fireplace. The wall moved like the parting of the Red Sea and a big screen appeared.

"Impressive!" Buffy exclaimed. "I totally gotta get Giles to put one of those in the slayer houses! The girls would love it."

"Slayer houses?" Freya asked, confused.

"Oh, didn't you know, sister? Buffy is a vampire slayer. She kills vampires professionally," Klaus said smugly.

Freya looked startled. "Really?" she asked.

"Not the kind your siblings are," Buffy assured her. "My vamps are much more ancient and have demons in their souls."

"So you're stronger than you look?" Freya asked.

"Yep," Buffy said, smiling.

"She kicked our brother's ass last night," Klaus said with a smirk.

"Not true. We just played around with some fencing," Buffy said modestly. She winked at Elijah, who laughed.

"She is quite talented," he agreed.

Freya liked this new human and was relieved that she was going to be safe around her volatile brother. Maybe it'd be safe to be her friend after all.

"So we totally need to go rent a movie!" Buffy said with enthusiasm.

Elijah was unable to resist her smile that seemed to light up the room. No one he'd ever met had a presence like this slayer. Her vivaciousness and often bubbly personality reminded him of the Forbes girl in Mystic Falls. Her strength and love of fashion was like Rebekah. However, her selflessness was like the passionate Elena Gilbert. Then there was something just uniquely Buffy about her.

"I think that can be arranged," Elijah said.

A short time later, he escorted his sister and Buffy to the closest movie rental place in the Quarter. On their way out, Buffy said, "Should we call Cami and see if she wants to watch it with us?"

"If you think she'd come, that would be nice. She's very strong and brave," Freya said.

"She has to be to survive this city," Klaus said. He was happy that Cami might join them. Getting back in her good graces was a goal of his. If the slayer could help facilitate that, all the better!

Buffy called Cami, who agreed to come over and volunteered to bring some pizza. Buffy smiled with satisfaction. She convinced Freya that chocolate was necessary to all viewing of chick flicks. Elijah had given her an indulgent smile before stopping at an old-fashioned candy store. "Food and new friends. Perfect!" Buffy exclaimed with satisfaction as she glanced at the bags of chocolate she and Freya held.

The four of them were strolling down the main street in the Quarter. Buffy was chatting next to Elijah, while Klaus and Freya walked a step behind them. Elijah and Klaus were sharing stories of the city as they walked.

Elijah paused when a very beautiful teenager walked out of a shop and was coming their way. She was talking to another teen boy. Buffy was curious when Elijah said over his shoulder, "Be nice, Niklaus." The girl was not much taller than Buffy, but she had more curves than Buffy did at that age. Her hair was long and dark, but her eyes were blue. Her lips were full and red. Buffy knew a lot of attractive girls, but this one's beauty made one pause—it was unexpected in one so young.

The teens stopped when they spotted the Mikaelsons. The boy looked wary and frightened. The girl glared at them. Elijah gave the teens a smile. "Hello, Davina. Josh. How are you?" Elijah asked.

"Better than Diego or Aiden or any other people your aunt or brother killed. Better than Gia," Davina said, knowing that reminder would hurt Elijah. When Elijah's eyes flared with pain, she added, "Better than Hayley and her pack." She didn't understand why Elijah stayed devoted to his psychotic brother, but she didn't care anymore.

"We took care of our aunt," Elijah said easily. He gave Josh a compassionate look. "You know Niklaus didn't kill Aiden. It was Dahlia."

Josh was nervous and heartbroken. He admired Elijah but was terrified of Klaus, his sire. He had loved Aiden so much, and they were going to run off together, a werewolf and a vampire—a modern day Romeo and Juliet. They were going to be free of the constant fighting and drama in New Orleans. Ironically, like the classic lovers, their love had been doomed. Aiden's heart had been ripped out—literally, and Josh was left alone again. He only had Davina, his best friend.

"Your brother is a curse to this city," Davina said in disgust. "As soon as I figure out how to kill him without killing Josh, I will end the curse."

Klaus stepped forward, pushing Buffy aside. "Go ahead and try. I'll kill you and your friend before you can get the words out!" Klaus threatened.

Buffy finally made her presence known by grabbing Klaus' arm and pulling him back. "Excuse you!" she scolded. "How about you introduce me to your frenemy before you issue any more threats?" she suggested.

"I am _not_ his friend!" Davina exclaimed.

"You love his dead brother Kol, right? You work with Elijah sometimes, right?" Buffy asked. "You can't be real enemies if you like some of his family. Love a man—tolerate their family. You can't kill him."

"Who are you and why are you talking to me?" Davina asked impatiently.

"Forgive me," Elijah said smoothly. "Josh, Davina, this is my friend, Buffy Summers. She is staying with us for a time."

Josh gave her a friendly smile and waved. "It's nice to meet you. I came for a visit and got vamped, and I never left. That was about a year or so ago," he said.

"Well, there's no chance of that happening to me, so I'll leave when I'm ready," Buffy said, giving him a warm smile.

"So what are you?" Davina asked. "You can't be human or you wouldn't be staying in a house of vampires."

"I'm something special," Buffy said, not losing her smile. She stepped closer. "My best friend is a witch, so I have much respect for your craft. However, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't go around threatening my friends. That makes me grumpy. A grumpy Buffy is never a good thing."

Josh laughed, finding her amusing. He noticed the movie in her hand. "You're watching _Pride and Prejudice_? That's a great movie! When I was crushing on Colin Firth, I realized I might be gay!" Josh said with a sheepish smile.

"Do you want to come watch it with us?" Buffy asked, thinking it would be good to get to know the players in town. This witch could be a huge problem for the brothers, but she was so young like the slayers Buffy mentored. Surely, Buffy could reach her. She glanced at Elijah. "That's okay, right?"

"Josh is always welcome at our home," Elijah said with a friendly smile.

"As long as he's not plotting once again to betray us in a cowardly fashion," Klaus added with a smirk.

Josh gulped and held up his hands. "No plotting going on! I swear!" he added.

"Cami's bringing pizza," Buffy said. She looked at Davina. "You should join us, too. Klaus will behave, won't you, Klaus?" She glanced back at him, giving him a mischievous grin.

"I will be the most perfect host," Klaus said, flashing his dimples.

Buffy gave them an excited grin. "I'll text Cami and have her bring another pizza!" she said excitedly.

And that's how Davina found herself at the home of the person she hated most in this world. She glanced over at the woman she held responsible for her strange circumstances. Cami was sitting next to Buffy on the couch, Elijah on other side. Freya was on the love seat with Klaus. Davina was sitting in the chair that faced the TV, Josh at her feet on the floor. Buffy had one of those weird abilities to include everyone in her comments while still focusing on one person at a time. She spoke to Cami like they were old friends, but Davina knew Cami had just met her the other day. She teased Klaus like no one but Marcel or Elijah dared to, but she hadn't known him for hundreds of years. Josh, who was a good judge of character, liked her instantly. It was like they spoke the same language. Davina was instantly confused and caught off guard by the new woman.

Davina begun to suspect the woman was a witch. She'd cast a spell somehow on the Originals, making even Klaus likeable. He was flirting with Cami, trying to get her to forgive him. Davina glared at him. Josh noticed.

"What's wrong?" Josh whispered.

"This entire evening is wrong!" she whispered back.

"I thought we were having fun," Josh said, giving her a knowing smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "I shouldn't be here," she said. "It's not right. If the covens found out I was hanging out with the Mikaelsons, there'd be hell to pay." A big majority of them was waiting for her to finally end their threat permanently.

"I'm not going to tell them. Besides, it's one night! Relax. You never let yourself have any fun," Josh said. "Besides, shouldn't you learn all about the new player in town?" He looked up at Buffy who was focused on the movie, a soft expression on her face.

"She's not normal," Davina muttered. "She looks sweet and fragile. Bunnies don't hang out in a nest of vipers, so there has to be more to her."

"Of course, there is," Josh said. "I like her. Her name's Buffy, not Bunny."

"You like everyone," Davina said with a fond smile.

"Not everyone. I don't like Klaus. He's scary," Josh said with a grimace.

Klaus, of course, could hear every word the two were whispering and smiled at Josh's words. He liked being feared. If the little witch thought she could put a muzzle on him, she was naïve. The slayer, though, was an unknown. Klaus would watch her carefully. He enjoyed knowing that Buffy's presence, however, kept his would be enemy on her toes. Buffy could serve to keep her and the covens from plotting against him. That couldn't be a bad thing. He had a feeling that if the witch moved against him, Buffy would intervene. Although he didn't like anyone fighting his battles, it was refreshing to have an ally he didn't have to manipulate to gain their loyalty. Buffy was loyal to her mentor Giles, who owed Elijah a life debt. If Klaus could manage to stay in the slayer's good graces, he could have a power tool to keep his enemies at bay.

He grinned as he watched the movie. Things were most definitely looking up.

***** _Chapter End*****_

 _I hope you enjoyed reading this chapters as much I did imagining it. Wouldn't it be fun if this could be real? Buffy in New Orleans! Show some love by reviewing!_

 _Check out my new blog co-written with Bewitchingredhead36. Info is on my profile page!_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Full Moon

***** _A Week Later****_

Buffy couldn't believe a week had already past in New Orleans. She'd spent a full week with the Mikaelsons, and it felt like she'd known then forever. It was the oddest thing. Most of her life she'd made friends easily. However, after she'd become a slayer, her life had changed. The Scoobies had been a pretty closed group. Even all the slayers that had been called after Willow's spell had never gotten too close to her. It'd been hard getting close to the girls and seeing so many die in battle in Sunnydale. The weight of the losses never seemed to leave her. Having Faith to help lead had helped. Finding out, though, that her life was now immortal and her powers growing served to widen the gap between her and Faith.

With the Mikaelsons, she didn't have the history she did with Spike and Angel—the only other immortals she was friends with. They weren't wrestling with a demon—just their own predator impulses. Klaus's werewolf blood made it harder for him, obviously. Buffy observed him closely all week. She talked to Cami about him. Cami had gotten close to Klaus in a way probably few ever had. She understood Klaus surprisingly well for someone who hadn't known him for long and wasn't his lover. Buffy sensed the bond between them could be nurtured into something that would change Klaus for all time.

She'd enjoyed getting to know Freya. The girl was a dichotomy of power and frailty. At times, she reminded Buffy so much of Willow in high school—then Tara in college. She was shy and a bit awkward when it came to some things. Her aunt had kept her so isolated. Every day seemed to be a new learning experience. Buffy had never laughed so hard as watching Freya read her first _Cosmopolitan_ magazine. Freya insisted that she wasn't a virgin, but the open talk of sexuality shocked her to her core. However, when it came to magic, she wore her power like a cloak and reeked confidence.

Elijah, though, was quickly becoming a source of some very naughty dreams. It'd been a long time since Buffy had such a crush. He was so cultured, so educated—so everything. She could listen to him speak all day. After the movie night with Josh and Davina, the four of them explored the city together the rest of the week. Elijah admitted that Klaus' shenanigans had kept them so occupied that he hadn't gotten a chance to explore as much as he'd like since they'd moved back. So the four of them did so together. They walked the streets, visited voodoo shops, and took in several shows. The music kept Buffy's blood humming. It was a fun few days. It'd been a long time since she'd laugh so much. Watching the brothers put aside their differences and be with her and Freya was a great thing to see.

Klaus watched Buffy and Elijah at the dinner table. The slayer had been with them nearly two weeks now. Klaus was still not sure how to take her. She seemed genuine. She seemed to really like the three of them. However, Klaus was, as always, wary. He never made friends outside of his family. Marcel had been his only real friend for the longest time until Stefan. He and Caroline were friends even if she hated to acknowledge the real bond between them. However, Klaus could never trust her because her friends held too much sway over her. Buffy, however, seemed to have many close connections, but her immortality would always keep her apart from those she loved. Maybe that's why she seemed so easy in their presence. They could get that part of her in a way her mortal friends would never.

It was very clear to Klaus that the woman wasn't afraid of anything and was very used to being around people of power. Her ease in their presence was disconcerting. No one had ever so easily fit in with them—not without compulsion. However, watching her with Elijah was most enlightening. It was clear to Klaus that the slayer was becoming close to infatuated with their brother. Klaus smiled in amusement. Could the slayer actually win his too controlled brother away from Hayley? Much to Klaus' eternal disgust, Elijah loved to play the martyr. He thought Klaus just wanted him to be single and devoted to him alone. He could never see that Klaus had many motives in everything he did. Klaus would never trust a witch, and he had known that Celeste would never be the right woman for Elijah. Arranging her death had been an act of brotherly love. Only recently after the hell the witch had put them through was Elijah beginning to move past it. And yet he wouldn't move in and take Hayley away from Jackson. The werewolf loved Hayley—Klaus knew this. However, Klaus would never think that the mother of his child belonged with such a man. Jackson had some honor and strength, but he was not a Mikaelson. Also, he sought to take Hayley from them. He encouraged Hayley take Hope away from them all. Jackson would raise Klaus' daughter as his own and love her. He would never treat her the way Mikael treated Klaus. However, Klaus could never allow that. Hope was the one good thing in his life. The only good thing he and Hayley had ever really done. He would devote his every waking moment to keeping her safe and happy.

He knew Elijah would always do the same. It didn't matter how angry he was at Klaus—he'd never turn his back on Hope or Hayley. Yet the slayer was a surprise. One neither of them quite knew what to do with. Klaus was going to enjoy watching Elijah try. He had a feeling that Buffy Summers was going to change things in this city and in Elijah's life.

"Tomorrow is the full moon," Klaus said when there was a lull in their conversation.

"Does that mean you go all wolfy and have to be locked in a cage?" Buffy asked with a grin. "We always had to lock up our werewolf friend every full moon."

Elijah chuckled in amusement at the thought. Klaus frowned, offended. "I am no mongrel! I broke the sun and moon curse and can change at will," he said.

"Really?" Buffy asked intrigued. "So why do you keep up with the moon cycles then?"

Elijah lost his smile and looked morose. "Because Hayley and her pack are able to revert to their human form only during the three nights of the full moon," Elijah said.

Buffy looked sympathetic. How did she forget? She glanced at Freya. "Any luck on the breaking the curse front?" she asked.

"I have located the spell that was used, but I haven't had any luck duplicating it," she said.

"Why do you need to duplicate it?" Buffy asked.

"Duplicating it is the first step in breaking it," Freya said.

"So what do you plan on telling our favorite little wolf about her?" Klaus asked Elijah, giving a pointed look at Buffy.

"She gets only three nights with Hope. I will tell her that Buffy is a friend of ours visiting. She has no need to know anything more," Elijah said.

"Will I have to protect your brother from a pack of wolves out for his blood?" Buffy wondered, only half joking.

"I need no protection!" Klaus exclaimed, offended at the suggestion.

"Hayley and her pack are no threat and in actuality are a part of our family by extension of her marriage to Jackson," Elijah said.

Buffy nodded and was very quiet the rest of the dinner.

Later that evening, Buffy came into Klaus' room watching him paint. It was something she liked to do for some reason. Klaus didn't mind. He hadn't taken time to examine why her presence didn't annoy him. Although she normally had the energy of a suppressed tiger, she could sustain stillness and enjoy the quiet for long stretches of time when the mood struck her. After twenty minutes, he stopped and looked at her. "So what's on your mind?" he asked.

Buffy shrugged, not knowing how to ask what was on her mind. "Nothing really," she hedged.

Klaus put down his paint brush and faced her. "Are you worried about Hayley and Elijah?" he asked, a smile playing around his lips.

"Why would I be?" she said, feigning puzzlement.

Klaus grinned. "You fancy my brother and worry that he's carrying a torch for my wolf," he stated.

"Is Hayley yours?" Buffy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Hayley is mine in the sense that she is Hope's and Hope is mine. I will always consider her a part of our family," Klaus said. "She surprises me at every turn."

"Yet you trapped her in wolf form without making sure you could undo it," Buffy pointed out. "That was shortsighted of you."

"I saved her life and knew if the curse was broken once, it would be again," Klaus said easily. "As for Hayley, she is your competition for my brother's affection."

"She's married, isn't she? And what makes you think I'm looking to earn his affection?" Buffy inquired. Was she that transparent?

"I've been on this earth over a thousand years. I think I can tell when a woman is attracted to a man," Klaus said smugly.

"I've not had much luck with men," Buffy admitted. "I don't want to fall for a guy in love with another woman."

"My brother isn't immune to you or your charms," Klaus assured her. "He has an immense capacity to love."

"He does?" she asked, interested in everything about Elijah.

"I have done a few unforgiveable things over the centuries. I even killed our mother. And yet Elijah has forgiven me time and time again. Once he gives a person his affection or love, he never turns away," Klaus said. "He will continue to love Hayley, but that does not mean he cannot love another. Love can change."

"If he loves Hayley, why isn't he with her? Does she love him?" Buffy couldn't keep herself from asking. Elijah was quickly becoming someone she cared about. If they were destined to just be friends, then she would be okay with that. However, her yearning for something more grew stronger every day. She'd had enough disappointment in her life and didn't want to waste time dreaming about an impossibility.

"I think she does, but she loves her people more," Klaus said. "I also think she's grown to care for her husband Jackson. He is a good man."

"But you hate him?" Buffy asked knowingly.

Klaus, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, answered honestly, "Of course, I do. Just as you will hate Hayley."

Buffy left him a short time later, thinking too many thoughts. "Too much thinking makes Buffy's head hurt," she mumbled as she got ready for bed. "I should call Willow. She always makes things better." So she called her favorite witch, filling her in on her week in New Orleans.

 _*****The Next Day*****_

The house was filled with tension. Buffy knew it was because Hayley would be arriving soon. Buffy felt sympathy for the woman's plight. Separated from her baby and cursed to stay in her wolf form, Buffy knew the woman deserved her compassion. However, Buffy was big enough to admit that she was more than a little nervous to meet the woman that clearly had the respect of both brothers. She walked through the compound looking for a distraction and finding none.

"I need a vampire to beat up," she murmured to herself.

Naturally, the supernatural men who lived there could hear even the slightest spoken words.

"Feeling restless?" Klaus asked.

"I'm not sure I can deal with the lack of fighting here. I'm a slayer. I'm hardwired to slay things," Buffy said with a sigh. "Isn't there an evil demon clan killing tourist or something I can take care of?" she asked hopefully.

Klaus laughed. He understood violent urges. However, it was rare for a human to admit to having them. The slayer was an unusual creature. "No, demons and the vampires you slay don't come near New Orleans because the ancestral magic works as a repellant for most even as it draws in vampires from my family tree," he explained.

Buffy gave him a pout. "So not fun," she complained.

"Well, if you're that desperate for a fight, I suppose I could accommodate you," Klaus suggested. When she lit up like a kid at Christmas, he couldn't hold back a grin.

Buffy shook her head. "Those dimples are totally disarming. No wonder your siblings have trouble staying mad at you," she complained. They walked out to the open courtyard. "I'll try not to hurt you too much."

"By all means, don't hold back on my account. I heal," Klaus said, wanting to know just how good she really was. What he wouldn't learn was that Buffy only showed how truly good she was when in the heat of battle. However, she was prepared to give him a good workout.

Above them, Elijah stood on the balcony outside Hope's bedroom. He was avoiding Buffy because he wasn't quite ready to acknowledge the attraction he felt for her. It was too soon. Hayley was bound to another and trapped as a wolf. Gia was gone. The memories his dear mother unleashed during her bonding torture session still haunted him. For so long, he believed his mother had killed the woman he loved to make the vampire spell. However, he had deceived himself. The monster in that story wasn't his mother—it wasn't even Niklaus. It was him. Her blood stained his hands—his soul. No amount of fastidiousness would ever make him clean again. Yet he continued to go through the motions.

Buffy Summers was so full of life that she burned with it. He watched her now sparring with Klaus, a look of joy on her face as she knocked Klaus back with her roundhouse kick. Klaus got up laughing. His laughter struck Elijah. He didn't think he'd ever seen his brother so relaxed or enjoy himself quite so much.

"So I roam the woods a wolf while Klaus gets a new play toy?" Hayley asked from behind him.

Elijah turned in surprise. He'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't sensed her approach. She held Hope in her arms. Elijah smiled warmly at her. "I didn't hear you arrive," he said. She smiled at him and moved toward him.

"I just did. I miss her so much," Hayley said as she gazed mournfully down at Hope, who waved her arms and smiled up at her.

"She's missed you," Elijah said. "So have I."

Hayley felt conflicted. Her pull toward Elijah was strong. However, she and Jackson were bonded now more than ever. The sounds of fighting served as a welcome distraction. She looked down from the balcony and saw Klaus hit a small blonde woman in the face. The woman swiftly retaliated with a punch that knocked Klaus back a few feet. The girl's enjoyment made her smile. "Whoever that woman is slapping Klaus around is my new best friend. Why don't we give her a knife so she can really hurt him?" Hayley suggested.

"I don't think she'd hurt him. Strange as it may seem, she's fond of him," Elijah said, watching the swift blows the two were exchanging. Buffy ducked and missed a hit and surprised Klaus with a hit to the stomach. When he doubled over, her laughter could be heard.

"She seems to enjoy hurting him," Hayley observed. "Who is she?"

"A friend that is visiting," Elijah said. "Come downstairs and I'll introduce you."

Curious, Hayley followed him down the stairs, Hope still in her arms. Klaus stood still when he spotted Hayley, sobering at the sight of her holding their daughter. A pang filled him. He quickly suppressed it. "You're here," he said.

"No thanks to you," Hayley said bitterly. "Have you found a witch to break our curse?"

"Freya is working on it," Klaus assured her. "I did what I did to keep Dahlia from killing you. That was her intention, you know."

"Thanks so much," Hayley said sarcastically.

Buffy watched the interchange with interest. Hope's mother was beautiful and very angry. She couldn't blame the woman. "Hi, I'm Buffy," she said, working to dispel the tension—a job she seemed to do frequently there.

"I'm Hayley," Hayley said. "I really enjoy seeing you beat up on Klaus."

"She wasn't beating me up!" Klaus protested. It had been surprising how clever and quick she was, though.

Buffy grinned. "Yeah, he's so used to using his super speed that his technique can use some work," she said.

"How can you move like that? Are you a vampire?" Hayley asked. When Buffy wrinkled her nose in distaste, she had her answer.

"No offense, but having to drink blood to survive gives me the heeby-jeebies," she said.

"Buffy has a lot of special gifts," Elijah said, giving her a warm smile without explaining.

"Elijah brought her here to keep me in line," Klaus said, his annoyance at the fact still showing.

Hayley laughed. "Well, I wish her luck," she said. "I'm taking Hope with me for the next three nights."

Klaus wanted to protest that his princess didn't belong in the filthy swamp, but he knew that he'd lose that argument. Instead, he nodded, his face grim.

"I will be there to pick her up before the sun comes up," Elijah offered. Hayley gave him a warm smile; Buffy noticed and felt out of place for the first time since she'd arrived.

"It was nice to meet you," Hayley said. "Good luck. Be careful. Women who spend time with the Mikaelsons end up dead. I did." With that parting remark, she left.

Buffy frowned. "What does she mean?" she asked.

They hadn't given her details about Hope's birth yet. "Hayley didn't just turn into a hybrid during Hope's pregnancy. A coven of witches sacrificed her at my mother's command. They slit her throat right after birth," Elijah said grimly. "She came back to life a hybrid."

Buffy looked sick at the image. "The poor woman. She's not had an easy time of it, has she?" she asked.

"No, she hasn't," Elijah said regretfully.

"None of that was my fault," Klaus interjected. "Our parents have sought our destruction for centuries."

"Yes, I know," Elijah, suddenly wary. It depressed him to realize that all Hayley saw when she looked at him was bad memories. He must truly be the monster he feared. "I'm going to bed." He turned and walked away from them.

Buffy frowned after him, a bit hurt by his sudden coldness. Klaus noticed her disappointment.

"Don't take it personally, love. Elijah is carrying around a lot of needless guilt," Klaus said. "Our parents turned us into monsters and then spent every moment afterward trying to punish us for it. The women we've loved have never fared well. They've been mostly collateral damage."

"Like Gia?" Buffy prompted, having heard about Elijah's recently murdered lover. She wasn't sure she'd be able to forgive her sister if Dawn killed her lover—even if she wasn't in love with him. It was a horrible thing to have to consider.

"I won't discuss her anymore," Klaus said coldly. "I did what was best for my family. Gia was barely a blimp on Elijah's radar—easily replaceable. I regret hurting Elijah with her death. However, I will kill a thousand Gia's before allowing a member of my family to be killed."

After saying that, he, too, turned and went to his room. Buffy sighed. Her friends spent most of their energy ignoring and repressing their feelings. This family wore it around their necks like a banner. It was proving difficult to navigate. She wondered if she was doing any real good being here. Maybe the brothers would do better without her here as a distraction. If she was gone, they would be forced to deal with one another.

***** _Chapter End*****_

 _Thanks for reading!_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Dance Fever

 _*****The Next Day*****_

Buffy woke up the next day around noon. After doing her normal morning meditations that Angel had taught her years ago, she called Giles instead of going for food. She needed to talk to someone before facing the very complicated Mikaelson family. Her attempts to reach Willow had failed. She decided that she needed some guidance Willow probably couldn't provide anyway.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully.

"Buffy? Why are you calling so early? The sun isn't quite up yet," Giles said. "Is everything all right?"

"Sorry for the early call. I just got up myself and really needed some advice," she said.

"Are you sure it's me you need and not Willow or Xander?" he asked wisely.

"Well, you are the one that knows Elijah, so I think you're the best man for this," she said. Then she shared her experiences with the siblings, what she'd observed, and her own feelings about the noble Elijah.

"I'm not surprised you find yourself drawn to Elijah. He is unlike any other of my acquaintance," Giles said. "I'm relieved that you don't find yourself drawn to his brother."

Buffy laughed. "Yeah, I know the bad boys are often more my taste, but Klaus is so immature. I want to laugh at him more than kiss him. Sometimes I want to kick him, but so far he's eclipsed by his very yummy and dream worthy older brother," Buffy said.

"That's good. You don't want to get in the middle of two brothers," he said.

"Hayley's already done that. Elijah is in love with his brother's baby mama," Buffy said.

"I see," Giles said, understanding. "But she's married to a werewolf leader and has been cursed?"

"Yep. Klaus wants to encourage me to pursue Elijah, but I don't want to waste time on a man who loves another woman," Buffy replied.

"'Cause for you life is short and you have no time to waste?" Giles asked dryly.

"Good point," she said. "I was considering leaving. I don't think Klaus will really need me to keep him in line. His love for his brother is very deep."

"Maybe. However, he does go to extremes. He cursed his daughter's mother, bit a friend, daggered his brother, and killed his brother's lover. Any of these things would be unacceptable. He did it all in a day," Giles pointed out.

"Do you think his brother's worth waiting for?" Buffy asked.

"I think you've been hurt and lost since you've found out the new changes Willow's spell has wrought in you. I think the Mikaelsons are people that can understand you and befriend you, so maybe you should give them some time," Giles advised.

"I hope you're right," Buffy said. She was a silent a moment. "I really miss you."

"And I you," he said. "Call me anytime. You're not alone. I'm going to have the coven research the curse your new friends are dealing with."

"Oh, Freya says she found the curse, she's just unable to replicate it," Buffy said. "I'll get the info and email it to you."

They said goodbye and a voice behind Buffy said, "You want to leave?"

She turned and saw an alarmed looking Freya in her doorway. "How long were you listening?" Buffy asked.

Freya looked contrite. "I'm sorry. I was about to invite you downstairs for a repast and heard you say that you were thinking about leaving," she said.

"I'm not sure I can do much good here," Buffy shared.

"You've already done an incredible amount of good," Freya said. "You're a force of nature—one I've never encountered. Like a pebble in a pond, you create ripples around you. These ripples change every one they hit."

"Is Elijah in love with Hayley? Klaus said he was," Buffy said, turning the subject away from herself.

Freya smiled. "Oh, I see. Have you grown to care for Elijah? I could see why women would find him irresistible. I've been inside his mind. His sense of responsibility and goodness is incredible—so is his guilt," Freya said. "Our mother did a number on him. He's not quite recovered from it."

"I can't imagine any mother doing to her child what has been done to all of you," Buffy said, frowning.

"She did what she thought was best at the time. Her fear was great," Freya said.

"Do you think Elijah is meant to be with Hayley? Will they work it out some day?" Buffy asked.

Freya was silent a minute as she considered. "I've been in Klaus' head also. He is too insecure to ever allow Elijah to be happy with the mother of his child. He doesn't love Hayley the way Elijah does, but his love for Hope makes him care deeply for her. Mostly, though, he's possessive. He sees her as his the way Hope is his. He probably wouldn't admit it, but it is so," Freya said.

"Do you think Elijah could grow to care for me more than Hayley?" Buffy asked, hating that she had to even ask. Since when did she waste time chasing a guy? They had always chased her. Yet a voice inside of her kept whispering that Elijah might be worth it.

"I think that Hayley is a hybrid like Niklaus. Her nature is volatile. Elijah will always be seeking to soothe her and worrying that she might lose control. With you, he would never have to be a caretaker. I think you would be much more his equal. Not to mention he would never have to worry about Klaus destroying you like so many other women he's cared for," Freya told her.

Buffy smiled. "Thanks. I think I'm ready for food," she said as her stomach was growling. She stood up.

When they made it to the dining room, a smirking Klaus was there. "Don't worry, Buffy, we saved you plenty of food," he said, gesturing to the food that covered the table. "Our cook's been working overtime since you've arrived."

Buffy frowned. "I guess if it's too much to feed me, I can leave. I do have my own money and am quite capable of feeding myself," she said coldly.

Klaus lost his smirk, looking alarmed. "I was only teasing," he said.

Elijah appeared. "Forgive my brother. He has never had much manners," Elijah said, smiling warmly at her. "Your presence makes even him more tolerable."

"She has been thinking you guys don't need her and maybe she should leave," Freya shared, earning a sour look from Buffy.

Both men looked upset at the news. "You can't leave!" Klaus said.

"Is there pressing business that requires your attention?" Elijah inquired.

Buffy took a seat and sipped some orange juice while she thought of a reply. "No. My slayerettes have Faith. They don't need me," she said.

"Who's Faith?" Klaus asked, seeking to learn more about the elusive slayer.

"She's my dark counterpart," Buffy said with a wink.

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked with interest. He sat down at the table as did his siblings.

"She accidentally killed a human, thinking he was a vampire. The guilt of that drove her a bit crazy, and she betrayed us to our demon mayor and poisoned my boyfriend and went on a dark rampage," Buffy explained. "I put her in a coma. Then she woke up eight months later and stole my body and slept with a different boyfriend. She eventually went willingly to jail, however, and was rehabilitated."

"You trust her?" Klaus asked, surprised by the revelation.

"With my life," Buffy said. "She's proven herself over and over. She came back and fought in the final battle that closed the hellmouth. She became my right hand—the only one that truly knows what it's like to be the Chosen Two."

"Your capacity for forgiveness is great," Elijah noted.

"Not unlike yours," Freya pointed out, giving him an approving smile.

"You two are definitely well matched," Klaus said, grinning. "So, is this Faith as strong as you?"

"She can hold her own," Buffy said. "She's in charge of training all the slayers now. Giles, Xander, and Willow, though, are the ones who decide where the slayers are best used. Faith didn't want to be on the Council. She wants to be fighting."

"Would she come to you if you needed her?" Klaus asked.

"They would all come if I needed them," Buffy said bluntly.

"You have a legion of super powered slayers and a very powerful witch at your disposal?" Klaus asked, considering how he could use that news to his advantage.

"Don't even think about it, brother," Elijah said, reading his mind. He knew his brother too well.

"I don't think there's any situation here that I can't handle myself. I'm immune to your witches' magic," Buffy informed them.

"Seriously?" Freya asked in surprised. "How is that possible? And how did your Faith steal your body?"

"Faith did that with a magical device that put my essence in her body and hers in mine—a real life Freaky Friday event," Buffy explained. "When I destroyed the device, I was back in my body. As for my magical protection, I won't tell you how that works. Just know that Willow has seen fit to protect me from any magical attacks—even herself if she ever loses control." Under the table, her hand touched the bespelled ring Willow made for her. It was the source of her protection. If she lost it, she had a magical covering spell that would work temporarily. She wasn't boasting without cause.

"Can I test that?" Freya asked with interest. Having a friend that couldn't be hurt by any of the covens would be a true boon.

Buffy shrugged. "Sure," she said.

Freya tried a simple sleep spell. Nothing happened. She tried a dozen more and had the same result. When Klaus began snickering, she threw a sleep spell at him.

Elijah fought a smile. "Was that necessary?" he asked.

"No, but I feel better," she said, smiling. "I was starting to think I lost my magic. It's like she has a shield around her that repels all magic. It's incredible!"

"I think our young witch, Davina, won't be happy when she discovers that," Elijah said thoughtfully.

"Why would she use magic against me?" Buffy asked.

"She has a bit of a temper and tends to throw her magic at you when angered. She threw Rebekah out a window once," Elijah said.

"Well, I hope she doesn't try to get on my bad side. I have enough enemies, and I couldn't help but like her," Buffy said.

She dug into the food. The siblings said nothing as she ate. "What do you want to do today?" she asked Freya. Maybe she'd stick around after all.

"I was thinking of going to one of those beauty salons that are everywhere. Would you like to come?" Freya asked, relieved there was no more talk of Buffy leaving.

Buffy's eyes brightened. "Oh, I can get a mani-pedi!" she suggested.

"I was thinking of doing something different with my hair," Freya said awkwardly.

"Cool! Maybe some highlights or a new cut? I could get highlights, too! Or maybe it's time to cut off this mane," she suggested.

When Elijah looked pained at the suggestion, she grinned. "You don't like that?" Buffy asked.

"I'm sure whatever hair style you get will be beautiful," Elijah said easily.

Buffy gave him a knowing smile but said nothing. Her hair always seemed to be a big deal to men. It was just hair, though. She cut it from time to time. Buffy didn't want to examine why she had no desire now to cut it.

***** _Two Days Later_ ******

Buffy forced a smile on her face as she greeted Hayley, who had come back to return Hope since her time was up. She could spend time with her daughter when the moon was full only. Everyone had made a point of staying up to wait for Hayley to return with Hope. Now that it was almost sunrise and the last night of the full moon, she'd be forced to say goodbye until the next month. Buffy couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman.

It had been hard, though, to ignore Elijah's distraction with Hayley back. She tried not to be hurt by it. The man was too good of a guy not to be concerned about his almost sister-in-law even if his feelings were deeper than he'd admit. Hayley, though, didn't even seem to notice Buffy, so Buffy didn't say anything. She just watched.

Freya stood next to Elijah. Her cute new, shorter, highlighted hairdo a sharp contrast to the dark-haired hybrid. Both women were taller than Buffy. She wasn't used to feeling ignored—not since her time at Sunnydale High. However, all three Mikaelsons were focused exclusively on Hayley. It was clear that Hayley's rage against Klaus was strong.

"She will be waiting for you next month," Klaus told her.

"How do you think this is in any way good for her? She's too young to understand why I am here and then gone!" Hayley said bitterly. "What are you doing to get me and my people out of this curse?"

"The people you were prepared to leave me for and help you take my daughter from me are not my concern. Only you matter," Klaus said coldly.

"You are not going to free me and leave Jackson and my pack cursed!" Hayley exclaimed, seething.

Buffy stepped forward, deciding to intervene. "Of course, he wouldn't. I know some witches out of the country who are working on breaking your curse. I promise that all of your pack will be freed when they uncover a way," Buffy told her.

Hayley gave her an intense, searching look. "Thank you," she finally said. She didn't know this woman but if Elijah trusted her, so would Hayley. She handed Hope to Klaus, kissing her one last time.

Not wanting to see Elijah's goodbye to the woman, Buffy left and went to her room to sleep for a few hours. When she awoke it was just five hours later. No one was up yet when she had breakfast and did her morning meditations. Bored, she stood on the balcony in her room and looked out at the street nearby. It was already busy with activity. Buffy was itching to do something. She was feeling a strong need to go dancing and not think at all about a certain vampire's bond with another woman. She pulled out her phone and called Cami.

"So, do you want to go clubbing with me tonight? I really need to blow off some steam," Buffy said.

"Sure," Cami said. "Any particular place?"

"You pick. Some place not too skeezy, but it has to have good music and not too much smoke. I hate that stuff," Buffy said.

"Okay, I'll be by to pick you up around nine tonight," Cami said.

"Look very hot. I'm in the mood to break some hearts," Buffy said smugly. While she was going through some of her new outfits, Freya knocked on her door.

"Are you okay?" Freya asked, knowing the emotional scene with Hayley several hours ago might have made the slayer uncomfortable.

"I'm great!" Buffy said brightly. "I'm looking through my clothes to find an outfit I can wear to go clubbing with Cami. Do you want to join us?"

"You're going to a club?" Freya asked.

"Yep! So put on something hot and sexy," Buffy ordered. She pulled out her red leather jeans and a see through top. The back was mostly cut out in the back.

"You can see through that shirt," Freya pointed out.

"I know," Buffy said with a devilish grin. "But I'll have on a black bra, so it won't be too slutty. A little slutty is the goal." She reached down and got her three-inch black half boots.

Freya smiled in bemusement and went to her room to see what she had. There wasn't much to see since her array of slutty party clothes was nonexistent. Buffy decided an afternoon of shopping, though, was in order. They slipped away unnoticed by the men and found some party clothes for Freya.

Later that night, Klaus was surprised when Cami arrived. He smiled at her and then swallowed hard when he took in her appearance. She had on a very short black skirt with a red silk shirt that was unbuttoned down to her navel. It didn't matter that she had a low cut black camisole underneath. It was entirely too provocative. She had on some very sexy red heels that made her tall appearance a few inches taller. Desire for her filled Klaus instantly.

"Why are you dressed like that?" he asked, a note of anger in his voice as he fought his attraction to this forbidden woman.

Cami looked down at her outfit. "What? I thought I looked okay," she said.

"You are stunning," he said bluntly. "You're liable to cause a riot going out in public like that!"

Cami raised her chin and flashed him a blinding smile. "Thanks!" she replied.

"How do I look?" Freya asked. She had on a dark purple dress that stopped at mid-thigh and showed way too much cleavage.

"You look indecent. Go upstairs and find something to cover yourself with!" Klaus said angrily.

Freya arched a surprised eyebrow. "You are not my father," she reminded him.

Elijah came into the room and smiled at his sister. "You look lovely," he said. He glanced at Cami. "You both do. Are you going out?"

"We're going dancing," Buffy said as she came down the stairs, capturing both men's attention. She had her hair curled and flowing down her back. A silver cross was nestled between her breasts that were hinted at with her push up bra that was clearly visible in the shimmering low-cut black top that barely covered her stomach. However, when she made it to the bottom of the stairs and turned, it was clear that the back dipped very low, exposing her bare skin and bra strap. The red pants hugged her figure so tightly that they seemed like a second skin.

"Can you dance in those pants?" Klaus asked, a twinkle in his eyes. However, his eyes bugged out when Buffy bent down and touched the ground effortlessly, showing her cleavage and how incredibly flexible she was.

Elijah sucked in a breath that Buffy must've heard as she raised up and grinned knowingly at him.

"I think I'll be fine," she said confidently.

"You look beautiful," Elijah said with heated eyes.

"Thanks," she said softly, their gazes locked.

"So where are we going?" Klaus asked.

" _We_ are going clubbing at whatever spot Cami has picked. Girls' night. No boys allowed," Buffy said firmly. She needed time away from the potent presence of the brothers, Elijah especially. His laser like focus on Hayley hurt, and she needed some distance.

Klaus looked both hurt and outraged. "You expect us to allow you to go dancing in places with intoxicated humans or vampires dressed like that?" he demanded.

Buffy walked up to him. "I haven't needed a man to protect me since I was called when I was fifteen. We'll be fine. Your sister needs to experience a good time since she has slept away the last ten decades," Buffy informed him.

"I've been grown up a long time, little brother," Freya said smugly. She wasn't offended but touched by her brother's protectiveness. It was the first time Klaus had shown brotherly affection for her.

Elijah didn't have the same feelings about their outing. "Niklaus, the ladies are more than capable of taking care of themselves and deserve to enjoy themselves. We've neglected to take them dancing before now, so we can't be upset when they elect to go without us," Elijah said.

Buffy gave him a smile of approval. "Don't wait up," she said to Klaus, patting his chest as they walked by.

A disgruntled Klaus watching them leave. He glared at Elijah. "It's your fault if something happens to them!" he said in annoyance before stalking off to his room.

Several hours later, a very intoxicated witch and slightly buzzed slayer returned. Buffy never learned to like beer, but she found a few mixed drinks she enjoyed. Her higher metabolism made it almost impossible for her to get drunk, though. However, she could enjoy a nice, relaxing buzz. The dancing had been just what she'd needed.

"I can't believe how wild you get after a few drinks," she said to Freya as she helped the drunk witch up to her room.

Klaus came out of his room when they made it up the stairs. "So, you brought back our sister intoxicated?" he said, a note of censure in his voice.

"Yep, she's smashed," Buffy said in amusement. "She's so wild when she's drunk. At one point, she was dancing on a bar. She totally blew my she's-like-Tara-analogy. Now, I'm thinking she's more like Willow, who goes a bit off the rails when juiced."

"Rebekah would be proud," Klaus said with a smirk.

"I'll get her to bed," Buffy said as she led a smiling Freya into her bedroom.

"Good night, my dear little brother!" Freya called out over her shoulder.

"Good night," Klaus said in amusement.

Buffy helped Freya undress and get ready for bed. She left a glass of water by her bedside. "You'll need this. If you feel sick, your trash can is right here," Buffy said with a grin.

"That was the best time I've ever had! I'm so glad you're here. I wish my sister had been there. You'd love her. She's so strong and beautiful—like you," Freya said. "She's the baby, and the only woman Klaus has ever truly loved, but he's so mean to her. She couldn't take it anymore and left to escape his control."

"Good for her," Buffy said. "I hope to meet her one day. Good night."

She turned off the lights and shut the door. Elijah's presence in the hall, surprised her. "Sheesh, you startled me!" she said, smiling.

He smiled warmly at her. "Did you have a good time?" he asked.

"The best!" she said, walking toward. She had just enough alcohol in her system to wash away her misgivings. "I danced with a lot of guys, but no one special."

"Oh?" Elijah said, his face not revealing much.

She moved closer, determined to see if she could stir even half the emotions Hope's mom did. "No one can hold a candle to you," she said, giving him a heated look. Then she put her arms around his neck and pulled his head down so that her lips could reach his. Elijah didn't resist, allowing the kiss.

Buffy's senses went into overdrive as she kissed Elijah. Soon he was kissing her back with equal passion. Before she lost control and began ripping off his clothes, she pulled back. "Wow! You're awfully good at that," she observed.

"I've had some practice," he said modestly. Her kiss had caught him off guard. It both aroused and confused him.

"With Hope's mom?" Buffy asked, hating herself for mentioning Hayley after such a nice moment. However, she had to know how close the two had become.

Elijah was silent a long moment, unsure how to answer. Finally, he decided she deserved the truth. "I was with Hayley one time only, before her wedding to Jackson," he said. "In the end, she chose him. I've respected her choice."

"I've heard the story. Did she choose him or choose to save her people?" Buffy asked bluntly.

"It was the same thing. She chose both him and them over me. I understood. It was for the best anyway," Elijah said. "I doubt my brother would've ever been happy with me and Hayley as a couple."

"But you still want her?" Buffy said, a hint of question in her voice.

"I don't waste time dwelling on things that cannot be," Elijah said with conviction.

Buffy gave him a searching look, unsure if she should trust him with more of herself. She'd been hurt so much by men who loved her. "Good to know," she finally said. "Good night."

"Good night, Buffy," Elijah said. He watched her go into her room. The elusive woman was full of surprises. How her kiss made him feel was the biggest surprise of all.

 _*****Chapter End*****_

 _So the premiere of The Originals really took me off guard with Freya on the bar. That seemed totally out of the character we'd seen, so I adjusted my story a bit. Only meeting Buffy could explain such a thing! ;) I hope you enjoyed this one._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Conversations

 _*****A Few Days Later*****_

Elijah was on the second-floor balcony looking down into their courtyard watching Buffy teach Freya her morning meditation ritual. That was basically what he'd been doing since their kiss a few nights ago. For the first time in a very long time, he found himself unsure. Buffy Summers was completely unexpected and utterly enchanting in every way. He wasn't sure that her kiss meant more than a drunken flirtation, though. Nor was he sure how much it mattered. He wasn't free to be involved with her, and he knew better than to toy with a woman like her. Elijah hadn't received much of her confidence yet, but he'd sensed enough to know that she'd been deeply hurt more than once by failed relationships. And Elijah was a bad bet in that department.

"So what's got you so morose?" Klaus asked as he approached. He'd noticed his elder brother's preoccupation. He also knew that their house guest was probably the source of his distraction.

"I'm not morose," Elijah denied.

"Has something happened between you and our new friend?" Klaus probed.

Elijah was silent, debating on the wisdom of confiding in his brother. "I'm not sure," he admitted.

Klaus raised his eyebrow in surprise. Elijah was never unsure. "I think she fancies you, brother," Klaus said.

Elijah turned fully toward his brother, no longer facing the courtyard. "Do you?" he asked.

Klaus was silent a moment as he faced his brother. Then he said, "I do."

"What else do you think?" Elijah asked.

"I like her. I think she's an amazing woman. She would challenge you and keep you on your toes for centuries," Klaus said.

"Why don't you pursue her yourself?" Elijah asked. They'd fancied the same woman more than once over their long lives. The poor woman always ended up hurt or dead in the end. Elijah didn't want that for Buffy. Nor did he want that for their family. Buffy would be a very dangerous enemy.

Klaus laughed. "She would drive me batty with her moralizing!" he said. "Not to mention, when I inevitably pissed her off, she'd probably spend all her energies making me suffer. She strikes me as being very single-minded."

Elijah smiled. "You're probably right about that. She is a determined woman," he said.

"Are you worried about what Hayley might say?" Klaus asked, knowing his hybrid was always a factor in everything Elijah did.

"Hayley is married. She made her choice," Elijah said dismissively.

"Yet a part of you is waiting for that to fall apart and her to run into your arms, aren't you?" Klaus asked.

Elijah didn't answer.

"My advice, brother, would be to grab a hold of what's right in front of you and not waste time on the mother of my child," Klaus said, knowing that reminder would convey everything that needed said.

"You would stay out of it?" Elijah asked pointedly.

"I may sometimes be rash, but I'm not stupid. That's one woman you don't toy with!" Klaus said with a grin.

Elijah smiled and watched his brother go downstairs and tease the women. The slayer brought out a side of Niklaus that he'd not seen in a long time. With her, he was carefree like he had been when they were still human.

Feeling nostalgic, he realized that he missed his sister and decided that he should call her. He walked into his room and dialed her cell.

"Hello, Elijah. Is everything okay?" Rebekah asked. Elijah wasn't sure he'd ever get used to her new human voice. It was a bit disconcerting. It was his sister's tone and inflection but not her voice.

"Does something have to be wrong in order for me to call my baby sister?" he replied.

"No, of course not," she said. "But I do worry with about you and Niklaus after the disaster the last time I was in town."

"Yes, well, things have improved," he said.

"Yes, Freya told me that you had a new friend. Is she the reason things have improved?" Rebekah probed.

"For the most part, yes," Elijah acknowledged. "She isn't afraid of our brother and mocks him for his childish displays of temper."

"I love her already," Rebekah said in amusement. Freya had prattled on and on about the new human house guest. It made Rebekah more than a little jealous as she and Freya were just getting to know one another. However, her desire to restore their brother Kol was too strong for her to abandon her quest to return home.

"I think you'd like her eventually," Elijah said. He knew his sister well. He wouldn't initially like Buffy because of her beauty, skills, and natural charm. She'd feel her place in the family was threatened. In many ways, his baby sister was still the insecure little girl she'd been as a human.

Rebekah chuckled. "You know me too well," she said in amusement. "She seems to be bringing our sister out of her shell."

"She has managed to make an impression on everyone. Cami likes her. Not even Davina or Josh were immune to her charm," Elijah shared.

"It sounds like you like her quite a bit yourself," Rebekah said.

"She is quite extraordinary," he admitted.

Rebekah could sense her brother was being pushed out of his comfort zone. "Have you and she became close?" she inquired.

"I'm not sure how to answer that," Elijah admitted.

"You know, Elijah, you deserve to be loved. You deserve to take something for yourself, so don't be afraid to be happy," Rebekah said. "It's what I've always wanted for you."

"And I, you," Elijah said.

"Well, once I get our brother restored to us, I'll focus on my own life," she said.

"Make sure you call us if you have need of any assistance," Elijah said.

"I will. I love you, Elijah. Don't be afraid to love someone that is in a position to love you back," Rebekah said without actually mentioning Hayley. Rebekah had grown to care for her niece's mother and understood and even admired the woman sacrificing her own happiness for the good of her pack. However, she didn't want her brother to be lonely and sad if he had a chance to be happy.

Elijah said goodbye, feeling more hopeful.

Downstairs Buffy was laughing at Klaus' attempt to do one of her poses. She didn't know if he honestly couldn't do it or if he was just trying to entertain them. Either way, she was enjoying herself with the two siblings. She looked up at Elijah, but he was no longer on the balcony watching them. Frowning, she broke her pose and began to stretch, touching her toes.

Klaus noticed everything, so he saw her look up and see his brother gone. "So, what's going on between you and my brother?" he asked.

Buffy shrugged. "Not much," she said.

Freya had been wanting to ask the same thing, but she had been hoping that Buffy would tell her on her own. She remained silent, waiting to see what Klaus would get out of their new friend.

"Something did," Klaus said knowingly. "He's been mopey, and there's a tension between you that wasn't there. Did you sleep together?"

Buffy looked shock at the suggestion. "No, of course not!" she exclaimed.

"Why do you say it like that?" Freya asked. "You like him. Sex isn't beyond the realm of possibilities."

Buffy threw herself down on the nearby chair. "It is when the guy is clearly not into you," she mumbled. Ever since she'd kissed him a few days ago, he seemed to be avoiding her. He obviously didn't like her like that and didn't know how to tell her.

"He told you that?" Freya asked, frowning. That couldn't be right. She'd seen for herself how her brother responded to Buffy.

"Not in so many words, but I can take a hint," she said with a sigh.

"So, something _did_ happen?" Klaus probed.

"When I came back from the club, I sort of kissed him," she shared.

"Sort of? You did or you didn't?" Klaus asked, grinning.

"I did, okay?" she replied, getting annoyed. "I kissed him big time, and he's been hiding ever since."

"Oh," Freya said. She looked at Klaus pointedly. He knew their brother better than anyone.

"My brother is an idiot," Klaus said with a smirk. "He's runnin' scared is all. You've rattled him. I think you should try again. Let him know you won't be ignored."

"I don't want to make things more awkward between us," Buffy said doubtfully.

"Well, this town's been entirely too quiet this summer. I'm growing bored," Klaus said. "Watching you tie my brother in knots is a high form of entertainment!"

"Yeah, well, I'm not going to humiliate myself just for your amusement," Buffy said darkly.

"My brother isn't indifferent to you," Freya said. "Even I can tell that."

"She's right," Klaus agreed. "I know that for sure."

Buffy considered what they were saying. "I'll think about it," she said.

She thought about it all evening. When Elijah left the house, she decided to follow him. Partly, she was curious, and partly, she wanted to find an opportunity to talk to him without his siblings eavesdropping.

When he went into an old church, she was more than a little surprised. She stopped and read the church sign. It sounded familiar. Then she recalled Cami's sad tale of her priest uncle. Buffy would bet that this was his church, which meant it was probably abandoned or closed. What could Elijah be doing in a closed church?

Buffy wouldn't have predicted that she'd find a vampire fight club hidden within the church. A large type of cage or ring was in the middle. It didn't have the normal church pews that she'd expected. She paused a few minutes in the doorway, not wanting to draw any attention. It was strange discovering a side of Elijah that was unexpected. However, when she watched him take off his shirt and get into the ring with another dark-skinned vampire, she moved slowly closer. Buffy had never seen him without his shirt, and she couldn't say she was disappointed.

Both men were insanely attractive. Faith would be so excited to watch a non-evil vampire fight club. Of course, she'd insist on participating, taking advantage of their undressed state. Buffy wondered if she was bold enough to do the same.

She spent a few minutes watching the vampires fight. It was obvious that the dark-skinned man, who she assumed was Marcel, wasn't in the same league as Elijah. Then again, only his siblings would be in his league. Between the siblings, she had heard all about Marcel Gerard, but their paths hadn't yet crossed. Like everyone else Klaus knew, Marcel was still angry about forcing him to kill Rebekah's human body. He'd also sired Gia, so Buffy figured that he was upset about that, too. Klaus really knew how to piss people off.

After Elijah had knocked Marcel on his ass, she clapped, making her presence known. Both men looked down at her in surprise.

"Buffy? What are you doing here?" Elijah asked.

"I followed you," she admitted with a rueful smile.

"Are you going to introduce me to your hot stalker?" Marcel asked, flashing a perfect set of white teeth. That smile was potent.

"This is Buffy Summers, the vampire slayer," Elijah said, unsure what prompted him to tell her skill set to the other vampire. Was he trying to keep the vampire from being interested in her?

"Really? You kill vampires professionally?" Marcel asked with interest.

"Not your kind. The demon-filled kind," Buffy said. "But, yes, I've been doing it for over a decade."

"She's the one you called in to help handle Klaus?" Marcel asked with a knowing grin.

"It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it," Buffy quipped. She indicated the cage. "What's with the vampire fight club?"

"I'm working with Marcel and his guys to improve their fighting skill," Elijah said.

"Expecting trouble?" she wondered.

"This is New Orleans. There's always trouble," Marcel said. "Ever since my foster family returned, we've had nothing but trouble."

"Well, things have been quiet since I've been here," Buffy said. "It's been a while since I've had to kill anything. I'm growing antsy."

Marcel looked at her in surprise while Elijah smiled. "I hope you're not planning on killing any of my guys," Marcel said carefully.

"Of course not. I could use a good demon fight, though," she said. "But so far I've not found any in this town."

Marcel looked at Elijah. "Is she for real?" he asked.

"Hey! I'm a slayer. Built to keep the forces of darkness at bay. Slaying evil is what I do. When I don't, I grow restless. Normally, I'd kill a few vampires every night," she said. "I've been here a month and not one."

"Sorry, I don't have any demons for you to kill," Marcel said slowly. He glanced at Elijah for guidance. All he got from his mentor was an unusually warm smile directed at Buffy. He blinked in surprise. Normally, he didn't display much emotion.

"I've explained that the ancestral magic works as a repellent for the kind of vampires and creature she fights," Elijah said.

"Maybe we can go to Baton Rouge or something! Surely, there's got to be some demons around somewhere," she suggested with a grin.

"Or you can work off some of that excess energy here," Elijah suggested.

Marcel smiled. "As long as you don't plan on killing any of my guys, sure," he said. "Why don't you start now? I'd like to see what you got."

Elijah nodded. "That's a good idea," he said, a smile playing around his lips. He gestured for her to take his place, and he jumped down. He put back on his shirt, leaving off the tie.

Buffy decided she could use a work out, so she gladly went into the ring.

Marcel grinned. "Don't worry. I'll take it easy on you," he said. He'd learn how to fight as a human from all of the Mikaelsons except Finn. Then as a vampire, his lessons with Klaus had only intensified. Of course, he knew that he could never take any of them—not if they were seriously trying to hurt him. The past year had proven that.

Buffy tried not to laugh. Since she'd fought both Elijah and Klaus, she had some idea how strong Marcel would be. Back when she was in high school, he would've beat her. No way he could take her now. But since she needed a good work out, she kept the fight going for twenty minutes.

Marcel was impressed with the woman's skill. She had a deadly right kick. He hadn't used his superspeed on her because he wanted to assess her real skill. She seemed to fight him off pretty effortlessly, so he began to suspect that she was just toying with him.

"So, are you even trying?" he asked her.

"The point is for me to get a work out," she said with a grin. "Not end the fight in a few minutes."

"You think you could take me that easily?" he said as he traded a blow that she deflected.

She shrugged. "I'm not mortal anymore. My fighting abilities and strength only increase every year—kind of like yours. The difference being I've used mine to save the world dozens of time and fought nightly for survival for the seven years I lived on a hellmouth," she shared. Then she used more of her full strength to hit him hard in the jaw, swinging his head back.

Marcel winced. It seemed she was holding back, so he decided to kick things up a notch.

Elijah watched as Marcel began using his superior speed against Buffy. Neither he nor Klaus had done that. He was more than impressed when she simply sped up, too. He saw that Marcel was starting to become rattled. Then Buffy kicked his leg a bit too hard, and it snapped. He went down.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!' Buffy gasped, kneeling next to him.

Marcel winced as he popped his leg back into place. "Well, I guess I know why Elijah thinks you can keep Klaus in line," Marcel said.

Elijah stepped in to lend Marcel a hand up while Buffy kept apologizing. "It's okay, Buffy. I'm fine," Marcel said.

"I wasn't trying to break your leg," Buffy said. "Sometimes I still don't know my own strength. It seems to increase all the time. Every time a new slayer dies and another is called, my power expands."

"Really?" Marcel asked. "So, you really _can_ keep Klaus in line?"

"Yes," Buffy said with a nod.

"But she actually likes my brother," Elijah said, giving her a fond smile.

"Seriously?" Marcel asked in surprise.

"He's charming, protective, and funny," Buffy said with a shrug. "And he's an artist with dimples!"

Marcel laughed. "Okay," he said, not wanting to address that. "Glad everyone's getting along."

Another vampire came in. "Marcel. You're needed to settle a dispute," he said.

Marcel nodded. "I'll be right out," he said to guy. "Well, it was a pleasure, Buffy. I hope you stay in town a long time."

Buffy and Elijah followed Marcel out of the church at a slower pace. Buffy felt energized after her fight. Now she was craving food. She cast a side glance at Elijah—maybe some of him, too!

"Are you going to tell me why you were following to begin with?" Elijah asked her.

"You've been avoiding me," Buffy said, stopping and facing him. They were in front of the church.

"Not really," he said. "I've had every meal with you."

"You barely look at me," she said. "I'm sorry that kissing me made you this uncomfortable. I won't do it again." She turned and began walking.

Elijah didn't think; he reacted. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. Not caring who may be watching, he kissed her with all the pent-up hunger that had been growing since the day he met her.

****** _To Be Continued******_

 _I hope you enjoyed this update! Please review and let me know!_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Growing Closer

 _*****Where We Left Off*****_

Buffy returned Elijah's kiss with equal fervor. Her body felt alive like it hadn't in a long time. She wished that it could continue, but she heard a car honk and recalled they were on the street. They slowly pulled apart but kept their eyes locked on each other.

"That was very nice," Buffy said, smiling at him.

He returned her smile. "Yes, it was," he said.

"Maybe we should do it again sometime," Buffy said.

"I would like that," he said. He held out his arm. "How about I take you to get a coffee or something?"

"Or a snack," Buffy said with a grin. "I burned off my breakfast."

Elijah chuckled. Her appetite was impressive. Kissing her made him realize that she wasn't just passionate for food. He wanted very much to uncover everything about her. However, he also didn't want to rush things. Unlike Niklaus, he rarely rushed heedlessly into anything.

He led her down the street to Cami's bar. Cami was behind the bar talking to a dark skinned man Buffy hadn't met yet.

"Hello," Cami said, smiling brightly. She looked at the man she was talking to. "Vincent, have you met Buffy yet?"

Vincent looked at the petite woman with Elijah with interest. Elijah was rarely with anyone that wasn't related to him. "No, I haven't had the pleasure," he said, giving Buffy a welcoming smile.

Buffy stepped forward and extended her hand to greet him. "I'm Buffy Summers. I'm staying with the Mikaelsons for the summer," she said.

When Vincent took her hand, his eyes widened. He felt a rush of tremendous power and got a vision—something that rarely ever happened to him. He saw her leading an army of women and in her hand was a red scythe that she held raised up high. She and her army were surrounded by a legion of demonic looking creatures. They faced the creatures fearlessly.

Vincent blinked and pulled back his hand. He gave her an apologetic smile. Surely, Elijah knew how powerful this woman was. Why would a woman that fought evil be staying with the biggest evil in town? "I-I-well, that was unexpected," he said a bit rattled.

"What's wrong?" Cami asked, always sensitive to the moods of others.

"Did you sense something?" Elijah asked in concern.

"Huh?" Buffy asked, confused.

"Vincent is a very powerful witch," Elijah explained. "One that refuses to practice magic."

"That is true, but I cannot control what I see," Vincent said, giving them a rueful smile.

"Did you sense what I am?" Buffy asked.

"You're a leader of warriors. You fight evil creatures," Vincent said.

Buffy smiled and nodded. "Yes. I'm a vampire slayer. I used to be the only one until a witch like yourself changed the world for all time," she said.

"Really?" Vincent asked. "How fascinating."

"Did you want something to drink?" Cami asked them.

"Yes. Two mocha lattes," Buffy said. Grinning, she added, "And some blueberry scones!" She sat on the stool next to Vincent. Elijah sat on her other side. "So how does a witch just refuse to practice magic? That doesn't always work out so well from what I've seen."

"You know a lot of witches?" Vincent asked.

"Yes. My best friend is the most powerful one I've ever known," Buffy said.

"Is she the one who gave you an army of slayers?" Vincent asked with interest.

"Yes," Buffy said.

"Does she know you're hanging out with a family that has done more harm and evil than any in creation?" Vincent asked.

"Well, since she almost destroyed the world that one time, I doubt she'd be all judgy," Buffy said with a shrug.

Elijah bit back a smile. Buffy was unlike any other. The witches of New Orleans would be hard pressed to figure her out. However, he knew Vincent would try.

"So Klaus hurting his entire family doesn't bother you?" Vincent asked.

"I didn't say that," Buffy said. "But he's impulsive. He regrets what he did. He has a soul. I don't normally waste my powers killing guys who make mistakes. We all do."

Vincent laughed. "You're calling cursing his baby's mother, killing his brother's lover, and biting Cami a mistake?" Vincent asked, unable to believe she was serious.

Buffy was finding the witch tiresome. She lost her air of gentility and turned toward him. "I'm going to go sit and enjoy my coffee and scones at a table with Elijah. The Mikaelsons are flawed like me, so I will forgive them when they make mistakes," Buffy said, hopping of the stool. "If you and your witch friends have a problem with Klaus, you have a problem with me. I suggest you begin practicing forgiveness."

She led Elijah to a table. Vincent watched her walk away with a frown.

"Don't bother straining your brain. Buffy is special," Cami said with a laugh.

"I have never felt such power," Vincent said, turning to face Cami. "How can a woman that powerful with that type of calling align herself with Klaus? Elijah I can understand but not Klaus."

Cami debated how to answer. Vincent, though, had become her friend. He also could cause trouble if he decided that Buffy was a new threat. "Yeah, well, I wouldn't worry too much about her actually," she said.

"Why not? A woman that powerful aligning with Klaus is a very dangerous thing," Vincent said in disapproval.

"She's actually not aligned with Klaus but with Elijah. He called in a favor to bring her in," Cami explained. "She's here to help keep Klaus in line."

"Seriously? Elijah brought in a vampire slayer to keep his own brother in line?" Vincent asked incredulously. "That family has issues!"

"Yes, it does, but Elijah doesn't want his brother dead. Nor does he want more harm to come to his family," Cami explained. "Buffy is just trying to keep the peace."

"Why did she defend Klaus then?" Vincent asked.

Cami grinned. "Klaus can be very charming," she reminded him. "I think she genuinely likes him."

Vincent turned and looked at the woman in bemusement. She was carrying on animated conversation with Elijah. "Does the coven know about her?" he asked.

"Davina's met her. Buffy invited her and Josh over to watch movies with them. I was there," Cami shared.

Vincent was surprised. "Davina went willingly over to the Mikaelsons?" he asked.

"Don't share that with the coven. She told me they'd be very unhappy," Cami said.

"She's right," Vincent said.

"We watched _Pride and Prejudice_ ," Cami shared.

"I don't understand why Davina would agree to spend time with Klaus," Vincent said, shaking his head.

"Yea, well, you try saying no to Buffy and see how you fare," Cami said with a smile.

Vincent looked concern. "I don't think the covens are going to like her presence in the city. Things are already unbalanced enough," he said.

"I don't recommend you say anything. Davina's the head, and she knows. Buffy isn't looking to cause trouble," Cami said.

Vincent nodded. Somehow, though, he couldn't see a woman with that much power not causing trouble.

***** _Two Weeks Later*****_

Buffy couldn't believe how fast time really did fly when you were having fun. It seemed way too long since she'd had much fun. When she and the gang first went to Europe, she'd had some fun. However, it never lasted long. Responsibilities always interrupted the fun time—normally Dawn. Now Dawn was grown up and married to a very capable man that had no trouble keeping her safe. The slayers were doing fine led by Giles, Xander, Willow, and Faith. For the first time, she was free. Free to make her own way.

The past two weeks had been so great. She and Elijah spent almost all their time together. Sometimes it was just the two of them. Other times, his siblings joined them. Once they'd went out to dinner with Cami. Buffy could tell that there was something between Cami and Klaus, but Cami was still keeping her distance. Klaus didn't seem to push the issue. When Buffy inquired why, he shrugged and said, "She's a frail human. I'm an immortal monster." It made Buffy kind of sad.

There hadn't been anymore kissing between her and Elijah, however. Instead, there had been a _lot_ of flirting. The flirting did little to mask the growing sexual attraction between them.

On day after dinner, she and Freya left to go to the movies with Cami and Davina. After the women left, Klaus glared at his brother. "If I have to have one more dinner with the two of you flirting with one another, I'm going to puke!" Klaus complained.

Elijah chuckled. "Now, brother, how many women have I had to watch you play with right in front of me?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Those were trifling distractions. I don't think the slayer is such a thing to you, is she?" Klaus asked.

"She is distracting," Elijah acknowledged.

"Has she made you forget about your wolf?" Klaus asked with a smirk.

Elijah frowned. "Nothing is going to make me forget that you still have Hope's mother cursed," Elijah said sourly.

"That wasn't what I was talking about and you know it," Klaus said crossly.

Elijah got up from the chair and turned away from Klaus. He wasn't really sure how to answer. "I have grown to care deeply for Buffy. She is unlike anyone I've ever met," he admitted. He turned and faced his brother.

"Yes, she is special. I would be happy to call her sister," Klaus said meaningfully. To have such strength in their family would make them indestructible. Buffy literally had her own army. An army that would follow her to the gates of hell, not out of fear but out of love. Klaus envied her as much as he admired her.

"Buffy deserves someone that can give them her his whole heart. I am not sure that can ever be me," Elijah admitted.

Klaus wasn't surprised to hear his brother's confession, but it did frustrate him. "You know Hayley is not the woman for you, brother. She will never be," Klaus said. "Wolves mate for life. As much as it pains me to admit it, Jackson is a good man."

"I know," Elijah acknowledged.

"You have a very long life in which to get to know and maybe love the slayer," Klaus reminded him. "I see no reason to expect that you won't find her the most perfect person for you."

Elijah nodded. "Isn't it odd that a human can expect to live as long as we do?"

"And get as strong as we are," Klaus reminded him.

"Or stronger," Elijah said with a smile.

Klaus frowned. He wasn't sure that was something to look forward to.

***** _The Next Day*****_

The Mikaelsons were in the den the following afternoon when Buffy came in. She was obviously preoccupied.

"Is everything okay?" Freya asked her.

"No, not exactly. I have to leave," she shared.

Klaus jumped up. "What? Why?" he demanded.

"There's a situation in Miami. Some witch foolishly decided it was a good idea to encourage some type of alligator demon to rise. We have a slayer house there, but they're fairly inexperienced," she explained.

"How long will you be gone? You are returning?" Klaus asked.

"Oh, it shouldn't take but a few days," Buffy said with a shrug. She looked at Elijah nervously. "Do you want to come?"

Elijah was caught off guard by her request. However, he could think of no reason to refuse her request. He knew that not only did he desire to see her in battle, but he wasn't ready to be a part from her. "It has been some time since I've been to Miami," he said, smiling at her. "I'd be happy to accompany you."

Freya gave her an eager look. "You said a witch was involved. Do you need a witch? I can come help, too," she offered.

"Another witch is always useful in these situations. Willow is tied up in Cleveland right now and can't come," Buffy said.

Klaus did not like being left out, but he knew that he could not leave New Orleans. "I hate missing a good fight," he complained.

"Yes, it sucks being a single parent, huh?" Buffy said. "Willow needs to figure out that curse, so Hope can have her mother back. I'll email her before we leave."

"Have you made arrangements for your flight already?" Elijah asked her.

"Not yet. I'll do that now," she said.

"Why don't you allow me? You can help my sister pack. If she's anything like Rebekah, she'll need all the help she can get," Elijah said, smiling.

"Oh, do you have a bathing suit? We totally have to hit the beach while we're there!" Buffy said excitedly.

An hour later, Klaus brought Hope out of her nursery so that they could say goodbye to them. Elijah kissed his niece as did Freya. Buffy can downstairs holding a very strange weapon.

"What is that?" Klaus asked in awe.

"It's my scythe that I King Arthur'd out of this rock," Buffy said proudly. "It's ancient but was meant for the slayer."

"May I?" Elijah asked, looking at the red weapon.

Buffy handed it to him. Klaus stepped closer to examine it, too. "It can kill in more than one way," he remarked, intrigued.

"The pointy end works well with vampires. The blade usually works with anything. I cut a man in two once with it," Buffy shared. "It went through him like butter."

Freya was startled at her casual confession while Klaus was amused.

Buffy gave them a sheepish smile. "Don't worry. He was evil. Killed a bunch of potential slayers—young girls before becoming the embodiment of evil," she said.

"Good to know," Freya said, shaking her head. She shouldn't be surprised by what Buffy said anymore, but she still was.

Klaus found a woman that could talk so easily about slicing a man in two someone to be admired and maybe a bit feared. His brother better not break her heart. The family might not survive such an experience. "How will you get that through security?" he asked.

"Willow has a spell on it. No one who doesn't know what it is to begin with will see it as anything but an umbrella," Buffy shared. "I've gotten through security before."

"Really?" Freya asked, intrigued. "This should be interesting." She held out her hand to examine the weapon. Awe filled her as she felt a rush of power. She gasped.

"What is wrong?" Elijah asked in concern.

"This weapon. It contains tremendous power," Freya said, handing it carefully back to Buffy.

"Yes, it does. Willow used it in her spell to unleash all potential slayers. Each slayer that holds it feels it belongs to them," Buffy shared.

"But it's yours?" Freya asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. I offered to give it to Faith, but she refused. Whenever there's an apocalypse, I share it with the others," Buffy shared.

The three siblings had gotten to know Buffy well enough to know she meant that. To Freya, her revelation was proof of how incorruptible she was. To Klaus, her words made him shake his head at her foolishness. Why would she ever give another her power?

Elijah, though, heard her words with approval. Buffy had no desire to conquer or wield her power over others. Everything she revealed about herself made him admire her more and more. The three siblings refrained from commenting.

"Will you tell Cami that I had to go out of town. I'll call her when I return," Buffy told him.

"Not a problem. Have fun killing your demon," Klaus said with a smirk. He had thought he was the most violent person on earth. Now he knew better. This woman sought battles. Klaus could tell she was excited to do battle. It made him amused and wary. She had been so normal and carefree the past few weeks that he had almost forgotten who she really was.

"Oh, they'll be more than one. If there was just one, they wouldn't need me," she said matter-of-factually.

Klaus laughed and gave his brother a knowing look. "You might get your suit dirty, brother," he said to Elijah.

"I packed extra," Elijah said easily.

"Don't let our sister get hurt. Rebekah will be very cross with you," Klaus warned.

"I'll miss you, too, Niklaus," Freya said, smiling at her brother.

They all said their goodbyes. Klaus watched them leave. Then he looked down at his daughter. "It's just you and me, sweetheart," he said to her. "Let's hope Uncle Elijah knows what he's doing with the slayer. A woman who carries such a weapon is not to be trifled with." Klaus had a feeling that this trip would change things between Buffy and his brother. He just wished he could be there to join in on all the fun.

****** _Chapter End******_


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm excited that some more people have discovered this story. I love writing it! I did begin another shorter** ** _Originals/BTVS_** **crossover story that focuses on Klaus and Faith. It's called "The Purge" if you want to go to my profile page and check it out.**

Chapter 11: Welcome to Miami

Buffy, Elijah, and Freya were greeted at the airport by one of the slayers—the younger one, Amara—and another guy, who Buffy recognized as her eldest brother Carl. She was the only Cuban slayer called so far. Her Cuban family was very proud of her, and they all insisted on being a part of her supernatural world. Buffy had met her mother Benita and father Carlito once. They had insisted on meeting the head slayer two years ago when Amara was first called. Giles had been there, too. He made a point of meeting all the new slayers. Willow had shown up in the middle of the big feast Amara's mother threw. The family had not been scared or upset at Amara's calling. Instead, they had been proud.

Carl was a trained boxer, so he was huge. His rough appearance did little to dim his overall gorgeousness. Freya could not fail to notice. "Who is _that_?" she asked as Buffy waved at the two. He was right at six feet, wearing a shirt that showed off his muscular arms. Buffy had never been into the steroid look, so she barely registered his appearance until Freya's comment.

Buffy looked at Freya and grinned. "You like?" she asked.

"Can I take him home?" Freya asked her, making Buffy laugh.

"Doubtful. Cubans rarely leave their families," Buffy said. "This slayer has the biggest extended family I've ever seen. And they're all involved in some way or another. Two of her cousins have already went to Willow for witchcraft training."

"Hey, Buffy!" Amara greeted as she approached. She hugged Buffy. "Christi is staking out the swamp, and she sent me here to pick you up.

"She's not going to engage without back-up, right?" Buffy asked.

"No. She's pretty laid back for a slayer," Amara said with a cheeky grin. Christi was Amara's opposite, cool, composed, and organized. She always had a plan. If it hadn't been Christi in charge, Buffy doubted she would've gotten a call. Christi wasn't timid, but she didn't believe in taking unnecessary risks. Buffy had tremendous respect for her and wished more of the cell leaders were like Christi. She never wanted to lose a slayer.

"It's a nice change," Buffy replied. She greeted Amara's brother. "Hi, Carl. It's good to see you again."

"Hello, Reina," Carl said taking her hand and kissing it.

"I'm not queen, Carl," Buffy said with a sigh. "How many times do I need to say it?"

"Can any slayer compare to you? Are you not the oldest and strongest of them all?" Carl said with a grin. "You are queen."

Amara laughed. "It's pointless to argue with him. He's the oldest of six and never thinks he's wrong about anything," she said. "Who are your friends?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Buffy said apologetically. "Guys, this is Elijah Mikaelson and his sister Freya. Freya's a witch, and Elijah possesses super strength and speed." She hoped they'd take her lead and not reveal that he was a vampire. His family was too dogmatic to understand the difference between him and the ones they slayed.

"What is he? Half demon?" Carl asked intrigued.

"Something like that," Elijah said with an easy smile.

"Cool," Carl said. "Nice to meet you. I'm Carl. This is my sister Amara. Naturally, she's the slayer."

Elijah shook her hand, greeting her warmly. These were some of Buffy's people. Not her closest people, but, nevertheless, they were hers. He liked getting to know more about her. She was such an intriguing woman.

"Our mother has prepared a huge dinner in your honor, of course," Amara told her.

"Of course," Buffy said with a knowing grin. Amara's mother loved to cook and feed others. She turned to Freya and Elijah. "Prepare for the best Cuban food on the planet."

"Do you have any bags to pick up?" Carl asked them.

"No just our carry-ons," Buffy said.

"We're going to go to the swamp after dinner," Amara said.

"Perfect," Buffy said eagerly.

A short time later, Elijah and Freya watched as Buffy was surrounded by over a dozen Cubans, all greeting her like she was their lost daughter or sister. He was surprised that she knew who they were. He'd gotten the impression that she'd met the family only once.

"Look at her," Freya said. "She's effervescent. It's like she's the sun, and they all orbit around her."

Elijah smiled, still watching her. "Yes, she is extraordinary," he said. During dinner, Buffy drew the two of them into the conversations. Carl and his brother flirted shamelessly with Freya while his aunts and cousins fawned over Elijah. Buffy tried not to be jealous.

While dessert was being served, the patriarch Carlito, announced, "The boys have weapons. They will assist."

"We don't need any civilians getting hurt," Christi said. She'd been very silent in the midst of all the chatter and chaos. She was taller than Freya by an inch or two. A light contrast to the darker hue of Amara. Unlike Buffy, she looked like a fighter. She was watchful and still. Elijah expected that she would be a formidable fighter.

"We are not civilians," Benita, Amara's mother, said sternly. "We are familia."

"And we don't want any of the family to get hurt," Buffy said diplomatically.

"It's okay, Buffy. They'll just stay in the back and make sure none of them get away," Amara said.

"We can take care of ourselves," Carl said firmly.

Buffy knew it would be pointless to argue. If she told them to stay home, they'd just follow after they left. "Fine," she said.

Christi started to protest but a look from Buffy silenced her. "Xander was a sixteen-year-old civilian the first time he saved my life. No super powers, no magic, no fighting skills. A master vampire drowned me, and he was able to give me CPR," she shared. "Twice he acquired the weapons I needed to stop massacres. Another time, he talked a witch off the rails from out of ending the world."

"Seriously?" Carl asked impressed. "He's the guy with one eye right?"

"That's right," Buffy said grimly. "You know how he lost that eye?"

"A hunting accident?" Carl asked hopefully.

"It was gouged out by the disciple of the first evil," Buffy said. "He's been hurt more times than I can count. He's had bones broken, and he's been knocked out several times. That happens to civilians. So I'm not going to gloss over the risks."

"They understand the risks," his father stated gravely. "It would be shameful to allow our youngest to fight evil without our aid."

"She's a slayer. It's her calling," Christi said firmly.

"Well, we should head out," Buffy said to the group, not about to argue further. "Those that are coming, grab your weapons. Wear something dark and unrestrictive."

About an hour later, they drove in several vehicles to some secluded swamp area. Christi explained, "There's a boathouse where the witch is staying."

"I think Freya and Carl and Cisco should take care of the witch. Don't kill her. She's human. Try to bind her somehow. We'll find a way to permanently strip her powers," Buffy said.

"Be careful," Elijah said.

"Do you want to go with them? It might be a good idea. Make sure they have her contained and then speed over to me," Buffy suggested.

"I'll be fine, Elijah," Freya assured him. "I've been practicing magic for a very long time."

"Call out if you have need of me," Elijah told her. "I will hear you."

"Superhearing too, huh? That's cool!" Carl said in admiration.

Elijah gave him a small smile. Buffy's world was so vastly different from his. She knew humans that would so willingly risk their own lives and the lives of their family to fight real monsters. Elijah felt both humbled and at the same time very small. How insignificant had his life been in contrast. What had he done in all his long years that could compare to what these humans were willingly to do at any time to keep their city safe? Yes, he and his family fought to keep their home safe and their family, but it was always in a self-serving way, never so sacrificial. Buffy and her people were extraordinary.

As they walked, he watched Buffy transform from the playful woman he'd grown to know. Now she was a general in command of her small army. She was utterly serious, power and repressed energy coming off her in waves.

"Christi, flank the left side. Amara, the right. Take two of the guys with you each," she ordered. "Elijah and I will take the middle." That left two of Amara's brothers and one uncle. She looked at them. "You stay behind me and Elijah." They nodded and everyone moved into position.

They moved to the edge of the swamp. It was pitch black outside.

"Why do we not attack at first daylight when we have the advantage of sight?" Elijah asked.

"That's a good point," Buffy said with a sigh. "Normally, we fight things at night. Habit, I guess. Also, darkness provides an advantage of a sneak attack. If we can't get all of them tonight, we'll just return in the morning." They all carried flashlights of various sizes. Buffy and Elijah, though, could see in the dark much better than anyone else, so they had theirs tucked in their clothing.

The first creature was lying on a dock by the water's edge. As they approached, it appeared to look like an extremely large alligator. However, when Christi shined her flashlight on it, they saw that it had human like hands and feet. Sensing a threat, the thing turned toward them. The light of the flashlight illuminated the deformed looking alligator snout, its massive teeth gleaming in the light. When the thing stood up on two feet, however, it was a horrifying sight, standing over seven feet.

"Oh my God!" one Amara's brothers cried.

"It _is_ ugly," Buffy said with a grimace. Amara shined her light around the water, looking for its friends. Christi had counted only four the few times she'd scouted out the area.

"There!" Amara called out, seeing another. Her group moved toward it while Christi ran toward the one on the dock. A noise behind them caused the rest of them to turn.

"Antonio! You guys get behind us now!" Buffy yelled. Amara's frightened brother grabbed his younger brother Filiberto's hand, stopping him so they could pass. Uncle Ramón, who was only a few inches taller than Buffy, stood his ground holding up his machete. The uncle was a Persian Gulf War veteran and seemed the most unafraid.

They began to engage. Christi was the first to hit hers with a broadsword. "It's hide is too tough. We can't cut it!" she shouted. One of the brothers shot it with his shot gun. That seemed to penetrate it, but the thing didn't go down. Instead, the bullet seemed to enrage it.

"Here!" Buffy shouted, throwing her the scythe. Christi caught it and swung the blade, slicing right through its waist. It felt to the ground in pieces.

"You did it!" Uncle Ramón called out. Christi grinned and threw it back to Buffy, who threw it to Amara while she and Elijah went forward and began hitting the ones facing them.

Elijah tried his normal method of ripping out its heart. However, he felt the bones shatter in his hand with his punch. He barely punched through before the creature roared and knocked him down with a heavy blow to his head.

Buffy, seeing Elijah's ineffective hit, decided to get the thing down and worked to sweep its legs out from under it. Uncle Ramón didn't hesitate as he ran forward and bent down low using his machete to sever its head.

Buffy couldn't help but laugh at the man's look of joy. Amara's family was a bloodthirsty lot. She turned to see how Elijah was faring. He had gotten up and decided another approach, jumping onto the things back.

"Elijah!" she called in concern. She knew that Elijah was supposed to be unkillable, but this was the first time that she'd seen him in battle. It was natural for her to worry.

"I'm fine," he replied. He had his arm around the demon's neck. He began choking it as it tried to buck him off its back. Elijah, though, wrenched hard until he heard its neck snap.

Buffy watched him fall gracefully to his feet. She found him utterly irresistible. Knowing that he had enhanced hearing, she said softly, "I so want to kiss you right now."

Elijah's head snapped up and his eyes locked with hers. Even though several feet separated them, Buffy felt his gaze like a touch. She started to step toward them when they both heard a scream.

"Freya!" Elijah exclaimed, and he moved in a blur. Buffy trailed after him, heading to the boathouse.

When they got in there, Cisco was standing in the doorway, looking shocked. Elijah scanned the room for Freya. Seeing her standing looking uninjured, he relaxed. "Did you scream, sister?" he asked her.

Carl grinned and pointed at the witch that was magically pinned against the wall, struggling to move. "It was her," he informed them. She was yelling curses at them. "Your sister is badass!" Carl added, giving Freya an admiring glance. "She came in like a goddess all calm and regal like while that one threw things at her with her magic or mind power voodoo. But your sister, she's all, whatever. And she just holds up her hand, and everything falls to the ground. Then she pins her to the wall."

Freya smiled at Carl. "I don't know how this woman managed to create demon alligators. She was pretty easy to subdue," Freya said.

"Do you know how to strip her magic?" Buffy asked Freya.

Freya frowned. "I don't know how to strip permanently someone's powers. I can bind them or channel them into something," she said.

"I can call Will. She can show you. Living in New Orleans, you may need to know how to do that anyway!" Buffy said. She pulled out her phone. "Hey, Will. You got a few minutes?...Need you to come strip some powers from a really stupid witch here in Miami…Xan said you couldn't come…Well, that's what he said…It's no biggie. I was dying for some action anyway…Elijah and Freya came with me…Yes, get your ass here, and you can meet them…Okay…Bye." She hung up her phone. "Willow will be here in a bit."

"Where's she at?" Freya asked.

"Cleveland," Buffy said.

"How will she be here in a few minutes then?" Freya asked puzzled.

"She can teleport," Buffy said.

Freya looked intrigued. "She must be incredibly powerful," Freya said.

Buffy nodded. "She is," she said.

"How can she find you?" Carl wondered.

"She knows where the scythe is. She'll uses its energy to pinpoint my location," Buffy said. "I'll go get it." She went outside to see how everyone faired. Amara was grinning and using the scythe to gesture as she told her battle story to Christi.

"Is anyone hurt?" Buffy asked.

"Nah," Amara said. "We kicked ass!"

"Yes, you did. Not sure I was even needed," Buffy said, smiling.

"Well, you and your friend did kill two," Christi said. "If you weren't here, things might've ended differently."

"Can I have the scythe?" Buffy asked Amara. "Willow's going to be here to help deal with the witch."

"Sure," Amara said, throwing it to Buffy. "That is the most incredible weapon I've ever held!"

"I wish all of you could have one," Buffy said with regret.

"Yes, it's a thing of beauty," Christi agreed.

"We need to clean up these bodies," Uncle Ramón said.

"Put them in a pile and burn them," Buffy suggested.

"Good idea," he agreed. The guys started to do that as Buffy turned back to the boathouse.

When she made it back to the boathouse, Cisco was walking out. "I'll go help with clean up," he said.

"I want to see this witch teleport," Carl said, folding his arms and staring at Buffy's weapon as if Willow would appear holding it or something.

Buffy smiled in amusement. Then she walked to the witch. "What is your name?" she asked the woman. The woman had long brown hair and a plain face. It was clear that she didn't smile much. She glared at Buffy's question. "Tell me your name or we'll keep calling you that crazy, dumb witch," Buffy told her.

"It's Amelia," the woman said grudgingly.

"Well, Amelia, why were you turning the local wildlife into killer demons?" Buffy inquired.

"I'm sick of all these illegals crossing over from Cuba. I wanted something stronger to help protect our borders," the woman said.

Buffy looked at her in disbelief. "You can't possibly mean that!" she exclaimed.

"I've heard worse," a voice behind them said.

Buffy turned and smiled widely when she saw Willow standing in the doorway. "Willow!" she exclaimed, moving to embrace her. "You snuck up on me!"

"It's not easy to surprise a slayer," Willow said in smug satisfaction. "I heard there was a party here."

"Not much of one," Buffy said as she embraced her best friend. "God, I've missed you!"

"Same here. Things aren't the same without you," Willow told her. She looked around the room, taking in the people. She waved. "Hi."

Buffy took her hand and led her to Elijah and Freya. "Will, you remember Carl, Amara's oldest brother. This is Freya and that's Elijah," she introduced. "Guys, this is my best friend Willow."

Carl was looking at Willow in stunned amazement. "You can really teleport?" he said. When she'd visited two years ago, no one had mentioned how she had arrived.

Willow grinned. "It's not a big deal. It used to give me major noise bleeds. Not so much anymore," she said.

"That's 'cause you're a goddess," Buffy said proudly.

Elijah held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Willow. I've heard a lot about you," he said.

Willow took his hand. "I can sense the magic in your bloodline," she told him.

"Really?" Elijah asked in surprise. "I've known many witches in my life, and none have ever said that."

"Your witches probably deal with just your kind. The kind we battle are demons. I can sense your magic mainly because when I used the scythe to activate all the potential slayers, it opened me up to the primal side of magics," Willow said.

"It made her much stronger with the magics basically," Buffy said.

She turned to Freya. "You're the witch sister, right?" Willow asked eagerly. "I can't wait to pick your brain. You must know so much ancient spells." She held out her hand to Freya.

Freya gave her a shy smile and took her hand. Instantly, she felt the connection. Not since Dahlia had she felt such power. And yet it was so different. "It's nice to meet you," Freya said.

"Yes, it is big sister," Willow said as she moved forward to kiss her cheek. This woman had an incredible amount of raw power. It felt ancient. Willow was so excited to meet her that she kept a hold of her hand and turned back to Buffy. "So who's the pesky witch?"

"Her name is Amelia," Carl said. "She's the one who created those monsters."

Willow led Freya to stand in front of the woman. The woman's anger had left, and it was replaced with fear. She sensed tremendous power coming from the new woman. "I didn't mean any real harm!" she exclaimed fearfully.

"I'm Willow. I can take your magic away permanently," Willow told her. "You turned an animal into a monster that can kill people. That's not what magic is for."

"I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" the woman begged, crying.

Willow ignored her and looked at Freya. "I'm going to show you how to take magics and absorb it into your own power. As long as our hands are linked, the magic will be with come to both of us," she explained.

Freya nodded and listened closely, memorizing the spell. It was surprisingly simple. Then a rush of power filled her. "Wow!" she said.

"You can let her go," Willow told her. Freya released the woman, feeling a bit guilty as the she fell sobbing to the ground.

Buffy, though, felt no compassion for the woman. She approached her. "Look at me," she ordered in a steely tone.

The crying woman looked up, still sobbing.

"If you ever try this kind of stunt again, what happened just now will be a fond memory. I won't kill you, but I'll have you sent to a hell dimension," Buffy said. "Tell your witch friends. You try something like this again, and this is what will happen."

"Who are you?" the woman bit out.

"I'm Buffy, the vampire slayer," Buffy said.

The woman's eyes widened as she recognized the name.

Amara came into the room. "Clean-up is done, so we're ready to leave. You guys done in here?" she asked.

"Sis, you totally missed it!" Carl said. "Willow is like—oh my God! She's like—wow—like incredible!"

"We're done," Buffy said.

Carl went out with Amara giving her an account of their adventure. "What are we going to do with her?" Freya asked Buffy.

"We don't need to do anything more. I think she understands me," Buffy said, looking at the woman who quickly nodded.

Elijah had said nothing during the entire scene because he was finding this new side of Buffy so compelling. Never had he met a woman with some many facets. He was beginning to think it would take centuries to discover them all. She surprised him yet again when she said, "Will, are you ready to break the curse Hayley's pack is under?"

Willow nodded. "Yes, I am," she said.

Buffy, Elijah discovered, was always thinking of others.

****** _To Be Continued******_

 _Don't forget to review!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for following, favoriting, and reviewing! Although I had planned on only Buffy being in this story, I think Willow making an appearance is needed. As I wrote this chapter, though, I decided she may stick around a bit. I really believe you're going to love what I have planned for her.**

Chapter 12: Things Be A Changin'

 _*****Where We Left Off, Florida*****_

"You can break the curse?" Elijah asked her in surprise. Buffy had seemed confident that her best friend could do it, but Elijah didn't want to trust someone completely unknown to him. However, there she was, magically transported, offering hope.

Willow smiled. "Yep. I can," she assured him. "But I will have to wait until the next full moon."

"So that's what? Two weeks?" Buffy asked, trying to remember.

"Yes," Elijah said.

"Cool!" Buffy said, smiling. "Hope is too young to be without her mother."

"No age is old enough for a daughter to lose her mother," Freya said grimly.

"Well, I can do it, so Hope will soon get her mother back full time," Willow said with a smile.

"I guess we should go back to New Orleans and tell them," Buffy said without enthusiasm. She really wanted to spend some time with Elijah.

"You can't leave!" Carl exclaimed, overhearing. "My parents will be so disappointed if you don't join us tomorrow for brunch. Besides, I promised Freya I'd show her around Miami." He flashed her a charming smile.

Willow grinned knowingly. "How about you guys stay here a day or so, and I'll got meet this big bad brother of yours?" Willow suggested, a mischievous expression on her face.

Elijah and Freya both looked startled. "What?" Freya asked, blinking.

"I broke up with my girlfriend and need a distraction," Willow confessed.

Buffy was surprised. "You and Kennedy broke up again?" she asked in concern. "Why didn't you call?" About six months after Sunnydale, they had broken up the first time. Kennedy's possessiveness and controlling personality was a constant source of contention, both with Willow and all her friends. Buffy knew Willow wasn't one to give up on someone she loved, though, and was never surprised when she forgave Kennedy. They'd been off and on for a while.

Willow shrugged. "Because I'm over it. She's told me what to do for that last time," Willow said. "I told Giles if he didn't want me stripping her of her slayer powers, he'd better keep her out of my sight for a while. He sent her to China."

Buffy snickered.

"You can take a slayer's power away?" Freya asked with interest.

"Not Buffy's or Faith's, the original two. But those I've activated like Kennedy, yes," Willow shared.

"So you're okay?" Buffy asked her in concern.

"I'm fine. Kennedy and I were over a long time ago. I think even she gets that now," Willow said.

Buffy doubted that. Kennedy's inability to let Willow go was part of the problem. "I'm glad you're okay," she said.

Willow smirk. "You're relieved. I know you and Xander hate Kennedy," Willow said.

"Hates too strong of a word," Buffy said. "Strongly dislike…"

"Are you guys ready to get out of here?" Amara called from several feet away. The bonfire of demon parts was starting to die down.

"Give us a few minutes!" Buffy called back. She turned back to her friends. "So what's the plan?"

"I'd like to spend time with your friend," Freya said. "The coven back in New Orleans is a bit stand offish due to my family."

"I guess I'll see you the next time you come back to Miami," Carl said sadly.

Buffy grinned up at Elijah. He returned her smile. "We can stay a few days," he said.

"Why don't you stay with us, Will?" Buffy said.

"I'd rather go to that compound you've told me all about," Willow said with a knowing grin. "I want to meet the big bad hybrid."

Buffy laughed. "You love to live dangerously," she said.

"Would you like me to go with you and introduce you?" Freya asked. "Can you teleport another person?"

"I can, but it's not necessary. I'd rather show up unannounced and torture your brother," Willow said with an eager grin.

Elijah looked alarmed. He'd heard about this woman's incredible power and hints of her dark side from Buffy. Was this a threat? "Klaus has been behaving lately," he interjected.

Willow and Buffy exchanged a look and then both burst out laughing. Buffy moved and threaded her arm through Elijah's, smiling up at him. "She didn't mean literally torture him, Elijah. She meant have some fun at his expense. Keep him off balance. Play with him," Buffy said.

Elijah smiled. "Well, then by all means," he said, gesturing with a sweep of his hand. "My home is your home."

Freya grinned. She liked this witch. Even though she was obviously powerful, she didn't carry herself that way their aunt did. She didn't seem drunk on her own power. "How would you get there?" she asked Willow, curious.

"Give me your hand," Willow told her. "Think of your home."

"Wait!" Buffy interrupted. "Call me in one hour, so I don't worry that Hope's daddy is permanently maimed."

"I'm not going to hurt someone's daddy!" Willow protested, offended. "Besides—didn't you say he had dimples?"

Buffy grinned while Elijah rolled his eyes. He was really sick of hearing about his brother's dimples. They were pits in his cheeks. What was the big deal? Too many times had Elijah witnessed Niklaus use his charm to harm an innocent woman, so he did not have any fondness for those much admired dimples. Elijah wasn't ready to admit his dislike of any admiration Buffy might have for his brother. He'd lost too many suitors to Niklaus over the centuries.

"How long can you stay? Are you able to stay until the full moon?" Buffy asked.

Willow nodded. "Yes. Giles suggested after the loud argument he overheard between me and Kennedy this morning that we both needed some space. He sent her to China and told me to take a break to decompress," she shared. No need to share how her desire to visit Buffy and help Buffy's new friends was what sparked their last fight.

"That's great! You're going to love New Orleans," she said to Willow.

Willow looked at Freya. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"You just want me to think of New Orleans?" Freya inquired.

"No, think of your home. Think of your brother there with Hope. Picture them in your mind," Willow said. She closed her eyes and Freya did, too.

Elijah watched the two women. He felt no magic energy. He heard no spell. One-minute Willow was there. Then she wasn't. It was most impressive. Their Aunt Dahlia could do such a thing, but she did so with much showmanship. Buffy's best friend could make things happen with just a thought. Elijah wondered what his brother would make of their newest house guest. A low chuckle came out of him as he pictured his brother's face.

***** _New Orleans*****_

Klaus was sitting his Hope's room watching her sleep. The house was too quiet without his siblings. Buffy's presence had instilled an energy into their lives. With her absence, their home seemed dead. He resented the power she had over them already. The woman was too unpredictable. Klaus also suspected that she was falling in love with his older brother. This development made Klaus a bit nervous. He genuinely liked the slayer. She was one of the only people in his life besides Cami who liked him for him, not what he could do for her. Unlike, Cami, though, she didn't have expectations for him. However, he knew that Elijah, though attracted to Buffy, still had feelings for Hayley.

His musings were interrupted by a sudden appearance of a woman. Klaus didn't hear her enter the room and jumped up, ready to strike her down if she came to harm his child. "Who are you?" he demanded angrily.

The woman smiled easily at him, not showing any fear. "I'm sorry if I startled you," she said. Klaus saw that she had a pixie face framed by red hair. She was quite pretty. However, she was a stranger.

"How dare you enter my home uninvited! My child is sleeping! Why are you here?" Klaus asked, trying not to yell. He didn't want to wake Hope.

She peered down at the sleeping baby. When she moved closer, Klaus snarled and moved so fast, she didn't have time to respond. He grabbed her and sped her out of the room, down into their courtyard.

Willow, who had not been prepared for such aggression, glanced at the hybrid in dismay. "I wasn't going to hurt her!" she exclaimed, a note of offense in her voice.

Klaus released her and stepped back to give her some space. "I will not risk my child's safety on the whims of a stranger. Who are you and why are you here?" he demanded once again.

"Your brother Elijah said I could come," Willow said, smiling warmly at him.

Klaus blinked. The woman's friendliness made him instantly suspicious. However, the mention of his brother made him pause. "The last person he invited into our home without telling me was meant to muzzle me. Is that your intention?" Klaus asked her.

Willow had been intrigued about this particular Original ever since Buffy shared her first encounter with him. He was both a monster and an artist. A violent, angry wolf residing in a man with a poet's heart. Buffy described him as brilliant and childish. Talented and frustrating. Brutal and gentle. To Willow, he sounded like a paradox, an enigma. Her Oz had been an enigma.

She stepped closer, flashing him a flirtatious smile. "I would never seek to muzzle such a pretty face," she said boldly.

Klaus pulled out his phone and dialed his brother. "Did you invite a guest to our home?" Klaus barked.

"She is the witch who's going to break Hayley's curse, brother," Elijah answered.

Klaus glanced up at the visitor. A witch? He should've known. "You could've warned me. I could've killed her for her intrusion," he said.

"She's not that easy to kill. That's Willow. Handle with care," Elijah said before disconnecting.

Klaus could hear the amusement in his brother's voice and was annoyed. However, the name of his visitor caused all his tension to leave. Here was the ally he needed! Rumored to be even more powerful than the slayer. "You can free Hayley from her curse?" he asked, putting away his phone.

Willow nodded. "Yes. When the full moon gets here, I will be able to," Willow said. She held out her hand. "Willow Rosenberg. I really didn't mean to scare you. I'd never harm a child."

Klaus flashed her his most charming smile. "Klaus Mikaelson. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said.

Willow blinked. "Buffy wasn't kidding. You really _do_ have dimples! I bet it makes you down right irresistible with the ladies," she said, smiling.

"I don't know, does it?" he asked flirtatiously.

Willow laughed. "Considering my last two lovers were women, and I feel a giddy—yes!" she told him.

A real smile came over his face. "A lover of women? We have that in common!" he shared. This was one woman he'd do anything to have as an ally.

Seeing the calculation on his face, Willow smirked. He really had no idea who he was dealing with. The depression she'd be wrestling with the past year, caused by sorrow and guilt for Buffy's circumstances and her ongoing fighting with Kennedy, was forgotten. Klaus Mikaelson was just the distraction she needed.

***** _Miami*****_

Buffy and Elijah were on their way to the hotel room Elijah had procured for the three of them. He had two connecting suites, figuring the girls would want to share. Their room had two beds in it.

Buffy wanted to go dancing—something Amara and Christi both loved to do after slaying. Elijah thought it must be a slayer thing, but he wasn't opposed. He and Niklaus didn't get to go with the ladies the last time they went dancing in New Orleans. Carl and Amara argued over the best hot spot to take them. Buffy settled it by telling them to pick the closest one to water. She wanted to be able to go to the beach if the mood struck her. A moonlit stroll with Elijah was a secret desire of hers.

The connection between the two of them had been growing stronger every day. Buffy had very real feelings for him. In fact, she thought Klaus was right. She was falling hard for Elijah. What was her attractions to vampires? Was there something inside her that was just utterly screwy? A vampire slayer should not develop warm feelings for the drinkers of human blood. It was the antithesis of everything she was supposed to stand for. Falling for one vampire was one thing. Two might be considered a coincidence. But three was a definite pattern.

So she had a type. So what? She liked men who were strong, who were close to her equal. As Spike said once, she _did_ like her men with a bit of darkness in them. When he first said that to her, she'd felt sick. She allowed him to twist what was between them to reflect what his demon wanted as much as the man in him did. Buffy had hated the fact that his words _had_ rung true.

Now, though, Buffy understood that the demon essence absorbed eons ago by the first slayer did make her understand better the nature of evil. She could sense the enemy because a remnant of darkness dwelt inside her. Some slayers lived for the violence and the gore. Faith was one who got off on it. Buffy never felt quite the same way as Faith. However, she realized that being able to know your enemy so well that you could love him was easier for her than some slayers. It was why she was able to defeat so many even before Willow's spell made her stronger. Sometimes this allowed her to destroy them like she did with Angelus. At other times, it simply made vampires with souls the only men who could meet her on a level playing ground. Just as she was able to understand Klaus, she could Elijah. However, Elijah didn't make her want to laugh. He made her hot.

Very hot.

They had changed into more dancing appropriate clothes. Even Elijah managed to dress casually, losing the tie and donning a black leather jacket over a black shirt.

She smiled in approval, running her hand down his leather encased arm. "I like," she said.

"I thought you might," he said, smiling back. "I've noticed your preference for leather." She was wearing her red leather pants with a black silk vest. The vest had a very revealing neckline. When Elijah's heated gazed looked at it and then back up at her face, she flashed him a wicked grin.

 _Tonight was going to be the night_ , Buffy decided. There was no way she was leaving Miami without letting him thoroughly debauch her. She had waited long enough.

Elijah didn't know what Buffy was thinking, but the glint in her eyes made him very excited. He had a feeling something was about to change.

 _******To Be Continued******_


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter is rated "M" for mature for the opening scene. You can easily skip it and not miss much.**

Chapter 13: Finally

 _******Miami******_

Buffy eventually got her romantic moonlit stroll on the beach with Elijah after hours of dancing. They weren't holding hands, but he was by her side as they walked, breathing in the salty air. The moon was bright and reflecting on the water. They walked several minutes in silence, enjoying the stillness and each other's company.

"This is perfect," she finally said, stopping and gazing out at the water. "I was born and raised in Los Angeles and spent a lot of time by the water. When I moved to Sunnydale, I didn't have as much time for it."

"It's easy to get caught up and lose sight of things we love," Elijah remarked.

Buffy took a chance and reached for his hand. "I like being here with you," she said softly.

Elijah tugged her closer and put his arms around her as he gazed down at her. "I like being here with you, too," he said. She was an incredible woman, and he could hardly believe that someone like her would chose to be there with someone like him. The blood on his hands seemed to fade when he was around her. He bent his head so that he could kiss her.

Buffy sighed into the soft kiss as her arms went around him. The kiss that started out soft quickly got out of hand. When Buffy pulled back for air, Elijah's lips trailed down her neck, pulling a groan from Buffy.

"Would you like to take this back to the hotel?" Elijah murmured.

"Okay," Buffy said on a gasped as he sucked hard on a particularly sensitive spot. Before she could step away, he pulled her against him and raced away. Buffy was breathless at the speed. She held on tight.

He stopped at the door of their hotel room. "Oh God! Warn a girl next time you do that!" Buffy admonished, taking a breath, her heart pounding.

Elijah smiled. "I am sorry. I just didn't want to wait a moment longer," he said, reaching for her once more. His lips moved over hers. Buffy's arms went around him once again.

A few minutes later, they managed to get the door open. "You have too many clothes on!" Buffy told him after he led her to the bed.

Elijah grinned and begin loosening his tie, his eyes locked with hers. Buffy returned it with a wide smile of her as she kicked off her shoes, watching him strip as she did the same.

When he was standing before her nude, she thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest. "You are one gorgeous piece of man-flesh!" she exclaimed.

Elijah moved toward her. His hands went to her shoulders, and he lowered her bra strap.

Buffy gasped when his hands closed around her breast, squeezing them as he bent his head, trailing his lips down her neck. Soon his lips closed around one of her breasts, and he suckled hard. When Buffy's hands wandered downward, she grabbed a hold of him, squeezing lightly.

Elijah pulled back, giving her a smoking smile. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"I just played with your dick. I think I'm sure," Buffy said with a snicker.

Elijah resisted the urge to laugh—a first for him. He bent down and swept her up, and then laid her down on the bed. Covering her body with his, he kissed her hungrily. Then he moved down her body, his lips everywhere.

Buffy couldn't hold back her scream when his hand parted her, and two of his fingers plunged inside. Just like that, she shattered. However, he didn't give her time to recover, his tongue following, and he had her climbing yet again.

Buffy's mind was spinning at all the delicious sensations coursing through her. "You are too good at that!" she gasped after another orgasm burst through her.

"I've had some practice," he said, giving her a wry smile. Then he moved back up to kiss her once more. "Are you ready?"

"Funny vampire," Buffy said, brushing her hand down his left cheek. "I think I've been ready since the day I met you." Emotion filled her. It'd been too long since a man moved her the way he did. His touch left her on fire as much as it filled her with warmth.

When he moved over her and plunged inside her, she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.

Vampires had a lot of stamina when it came to sex. Spike had taught her that. However, an Original vampire with ten centuries of practice even if he only took one lover a year or one every ten years still had legions more practice. Buffy realized that sex with Elijah couldn't compare with sex with anyone else ever. She lost count of how many times she came before he finally exploded inside her, filling her with his seed.

No worries about STDs or pregnancy concerned her as he collapsed next to her moving her on top-another advantage of a vampire lover.

"I think I'm dead," she moaned.

Elijah brushed his hand down her back. She was perfect. Feeling at peace, he fell asleep.

Buffy opened her eyes and saw that his were closed. "I guess I wore you out," she said smugly. She dropped a kiss on his lips and followed him into slumber.

 _*****New Orleans*****_

Willow woke up with the sun as was her habit when she wasn't up late slaying. She was dying to see the city and try the famous beignets she'd heard Buffy brag about. After taking a shower, she went to Klaus bedroom. "Are you awake?" she asked without knocking. She knew that his vampire hearing would allow him to hear her if he was.

"I have a child. Of course, I'm awake," the British voice said through the door.

"You sound grumpy? Do you need blood? Angel and Spike were always grumpy when they were hungry," Willow said on the other side of the door.

The door swung open. "I am _not_ grumpy!" he said in annoyance. He held Hope in his arms. "Hope's out of diapers."

"So let's go out!" Willow said excitedly. "I've never been to New Orleans, and I want a beignet for breakfast! Buffy told me they were delish!"

"Fine. I need to put Hope in her stroller," Klaus said.

"Can I hold her?" Willow asked eagerly.

"I suppose. You better not drop her!" he admonished, causing her to roll her eyes.

"I can hold a baby! It's not my first time," she told him. She grabbed Hope from him while he went downstairs. Willow followed at a slower pace, her eyes focused on Hope. There was something about this child. When she made it to the bottom of the stairs, Hope put her hand on Willow's cheek. Willow gasped. She felt an incredible power course through her.

"Oh Goddess!" she gasped.

"What's wrong?" Klaus asked in alarm, moving to take Hope from her.

"I just felt such a rush of power coming from her when she touched me!" Willow exclaimed in awe as she gazed at the baby.

"She is powerful. We've already seen some signs," Klaus said. "She's more unique than her mother or I. She is a witch with the werewolf gene, whose blood turned her mother into a vampire. We're not sure exactly how it will manifest as she gets older."

"That's incredible," Willow said. "If you ever need a witch to help you with her, please call me. I've heard the witches here are all into ancestral magic."

"The ancestors here tried to kill her when she was born, including her witch grandmother, my mother," Klaus shared.

"Gee, I thought it was bad that time Buffy and I were almost burned at the stake by our moms. At least they were under a demon influence," Willow said with a rueful smile.

Klaus put Hope in the stroller. "Mom dearest created us and then has sought her destruction ever since," he said.

"I guess she didn't realize her spell would cause you guys to need human blood to live," Willow said knowingly.

"No, she did not," Klaus said flatly. "Are you ready?"

Willow nodded and was quiet as they walked out of his compound. The streets were already alive with people. The energy was intoxicating for Willow. She'd spent too long isolated training witches or fighting demons or fighting with Kennedy. Every breath she took allowed her to feel lighter and lighter. She was so glad she came.

Klaus stopped at café that served a good breakfast and coffee. Willow kept up the chatter all through breakfast. Klaus had a hard time believing she was as powerful as Buffy claimed. When Hope threw her toy, however, Willow caught it with an invisible hand. Then she put it in her hand.

"Watch, Hope. You can get this from me. Use your magic," Willow encouraged.

Klaus frowned. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's never too early to start teaching her magic. If you don't encourage it, she'll do it in secret, and then you'll never know what she's doing," Willow advised.

Klaus was disturbed at the idea. "Yeah, well, my sister is a very powerful witch. She will teach Hope all that she needs to know," he informed her.

"Fine," Willow said with a pout. She handed Hope the toy.

Hope grinned. "Mine," she said.

Klaus grinned. "Now she's channeling her Aunt Rebekah. She's very possessive," he said.

Willow ordered her pastry and some coffee. Klaus ordered one and fed it to Hope, who made quite a mess. It was hard for Willow to reconcile the hybrid's reputation with his current role as doting father.

"Who's your new friend?" Marcel asked.

Klaus and Willow looked up at the new arrival. "Marcelus," Klaus acknowledged. His eyes zeroed in on his companion. "Davina."

Willow looked at the witch with interest. "This is the witch that's been a thorn in your side, right?" Willow asked Klaus.

He rolled his eyes. "That's putting it mildly. If Marcel and my late brother Kol didn't love her so much, I'd have ripped off her head ages ago," he said.

"I'd like to see you try," Davina said, her eyes narrowing.

"Let's not fight," Marcel said easily. He held out his hand to Willow. "I'm Marcel Gerard. This is Davina."

"Willow Rosenberg," Willow said, shaking his hand. Then she held Davina's for a moment.

Davina's eyes widened. "You're a witch," she said.

"Yes, and I'm Buffy's best friend. I'm going to break Hayley's curse on the next fool moon," she shared.

"The ancestors don't like other witches in their town," Davina warned.

"That's too bad," Willow said. "I don't take orders from dead witches or teenage witches either. Hope needs her mother."

"I know," Davina said quickly. "I'd do it if I could."

"Well, I can, and I will," Willow said confidently.

"I suggest you run along," Klaus said to them. "Willow and I are just getting to know one another." He reached into the diaper bag to take out some wetnaps and began cleaning up Hope.

"It was nice meeting you," Willow said brightly.

"You, too," Marcel said. He stepped back and let Klaus put Hope in the stroller. Davina watched as the two walked away.

"Klaus has an extremely powerful witch in his pocket now?" Davina asked, upset.

"I don't think anyone can have that witch in their pocket," Marcel said. "If she's the slayer's best friend, her allegiance is to Buffy."

"And Buffy's allegiance is to the Mikaelsons," Davina pointed out.

"I don't think so," Marcel said. "Elijah brought her to town to keep Klaus reigned in. He saved the life of a close friend of hers."

"This isn't good. They're upsetting the balance in the city. The ancestors won't like it," Davina warned.

"I'm not sure there's anything they can do about it," Marcel said. "I don't think they want to take on this particular witch."

Davina watched the hybrid smile at the witch as they strolled out of the café, pushing the stroller. She had a bad feeling that this woman was going to turn the city upside down.

****** _Miami******_

Buffy woke up to the unusual feeling of a man's arm around. She smiled as the memories of the night before flooded her mind. They had woken up several times through the night, unable to get enough of one another. He was insatiable.

So was she.

She turned in his arms and kissed his chest, running her hands across his muscular physique. "You are too pretty," she murmured with a happy sigh.

"I thought men were handsome or sexy," Elijah replied, opening his eyes. He smiled warmly at her.

"Well, you are both of those things and still very pretty," Buffy announced. She moved up to kiss him.

Her growling stomach, though, interrupted the kiss.

"Looks like I need to feed you," Elijah said.

"Food would be nice," she agreed.

"How about I order some room service while you take a shower?" he suggested.

"That would be good if you promise to join me," Buffy said, giving him a coy smile. She stood up from the bed, naked.

Elijah watched her walk toward the bathroom. She was exquisite. "I'll be right there," he promised, picking up the phone and ordering a large breakfast.

It'd been a long time since he allowed himself to feel such contentment. He stood up and walked to the bathroom. When he opened the door, Buffy was stepping into the shower. She grinned at seeing him.

"The food will be here in twenty minutes," he told her.

"I think I can work with that," she said, giving him a wink. She stepped under the spray.

Elijah didn't hesitate and stepped in behind her.

****** _Chapter End******_

 _I hope you enjoyed the update. I love your reviews!_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Learning More

 _******New Orleans******_

Klaus was totally discombobulated. He had no idea how to take Willow the Red Witch Rosenberg. She seemed like a harmless chatterbox at times. Other times, she revealed her real genius. She could do things with a computer than not even he could do. (It was a point of pride that master all the latest technologies). In the two days, he'd spent alone with her—not counting Hope's presence—she was both a flirt and distant. He saw shadows in her eyes that she masked with joviality.

At dinner, she was telling him some story about her travels. She mentioned a name—Kennedy.

"Is he your lover?" Klaus asked, curious about her. He had fed Hope and put her to bed already, so it was just the two of them and his servant.

"Yes, _she_ was," Willow said with a smirk.

Klaus grinned. "Does that mean you don't take male lovers?" he asked with interest.

"I haven't since my freshman year of college. My first lover was a male—and a werewolf," she shared.

"Really?" Klaus asked, fascinated. "So you have a taste for werewolves?" He flashed his eyes yellow.

Willow looked at him in bemusement. "Oz could never do that. He was either a wolf or human. He did eventually master not changing on a full moon. However, strong emotions like anger or jealousy made him lose control."

"That's the case with all werewolves or vampires," Klaus said with a shrug.

"But after he left me, I fell in love with a woman, Tara. She was killed by a stray bullet that was meant for Buffy," Willow shared, her eyes flashing completely black at the thought.

Klaus blinked in surprise. Then Willow herself blinked and her eyes were normal. He frowned. Maybe he imagined it.

"Someone tried to take out the Slayer with a gun?" he asked surprised.

"She wasn't immortal then. A gun would suffice. She was shot in the abdomen. I healed her because she wasn't killed instantly. I couldn't do the same with Tara. She died instantly," Willow said, sorrow in her voice.

"I didn't mean to stir up unpleasant memories," Klaus apologetically.

"It's okay. It's been several years," Willow said.

"But when we lose a love, does the amount of time really matter?" Klaus pointed out. "I hope you made the man who killed her pay dearly."

"I ripped his skin off with my magic," she revealed without emotion.

Klaus looked at her a moment to see if she was joking. When she didn't crack a smile, he realized she hadn't exaggerated. "A fitting punishment," he said in approval. In reality, he was secretly pleased. If someone killed his sweet Caroline or Cami, he'd torture them for days before killing them.

"He was human. I had no right," Willow said. "But that's not even the worst thing I did." Her face took on a haunted look.

"I'm sure he deserved whatever vengeance you gave out," Klaus said.

"He may have, but my friends didn't," she said flatly. "I absorbed a lot of dark magic and went off the rails. I tried to kill the guy's two friends who were helping him. Of course, Buffy had to protect them, so I tried to kill her, Giles, and all of them. I even tried to raise a Satanic temple that would've destroyed the world."

Klaus found her more interesting by the minute. "Really?" he asked, fascinated. "The world's still here, so I take it you had a change of heart?"

"My best friend since kindergarten, Xander, got through to me. I hurt him, but he said if the world was going to end, there was no one else he wanted to die with," she said, a small smile on her lips.

"Now that sounds like the type of friend to have watching your back," Klaus said, impressed.

"Xander's the best man I've ever known. He's completely human with no special powers, but he's been fighting with Buffy since we met her our sophomore year of high school," Willow shared. "He even had his eye gouged out once by a psychotic killer imbued with the First Evil's power. He still didn't falter."

"You're a lucky woman," Klaus said. "I used to have such loyalty, but our father kept trying to kill us. Running from him ruined many good relationships."

"Where is he now? Buffy told me that your mother was a powerful witch who created you all. She didn't say anything about your father," Willow said.

"I killed him," Klaus said grimly. "Both times. He, however, wasn't my father. My father was a werewolf my mother betrayed him with, so he was always very cruel toward me even when I was a human."

"So your bio father gave you the werewolf gene?" she asked. Klaus nodded. "Did you know him?"

"I did not until most recently," Klaus said. He paused before revealing, "I killed him, too."

Willow shook her head, giving him a sad look. "I think you have some issues," she said.

"So my shrink tells me," Klaus said, flashing his dimple.

"You see a shrink?" Willow inquired, surprised.

"I see Cami. She just finished her master's in psychology. She knows all my secrets," Klaus said.

"I bet that's quite a burden for her," Willow said, smirking. "She's human, right? I think Buffy mentioned her."

"Yes, she is. She's befriended the Slayer as her nature is warm and outgoing. Her uncle was a priest, who helped keep the peace between the various factions in New Orleans. A witch put a hex on him and drove him mad. They did the same thing to her twin brother, who killed nine people before killing himself," Klaus shared. "Cami is beloved by both witch and vampire in this city and respected by the human's due to her family's long history with the city."

Willow looked horrified. "Did you kill the witches who hexed her family?" she asked.

"I did. Or rather Elijah did," Klaus said.

"Elijah? Buffy's really into him. Tell me more about him. I met him. He seemed very dapper," Willow said, grinning.

"What's to say? Elijah is my big brother. He never lets me forget it," Klaus said, rolling his eyes.

"But he's a good guy? I mean, I know you just said he killed a witch, but he doesn't kill indiscriminately, right?" Willow asked. These vampires had no demon, but she had heard they could be monsters. Klaus himself was often a true monster from what she'd garnered.

"Elijah is the family's protector. He will kill anyone that threatens me or the family," Klaus said. "He'd kill for those he considers family like Marcel or Haley. However, he is not quick to kill nor does he react from emotion like I often do. His patience is endless as is his depth of forgiveness."

Willow smiled. "So he's forgiven you for a lot, huh?" she asked, giving him a knowing look.

"Let's just say that Elijah is the finest man I've ever known in all my long years, and if you tell him I said that, I'll deny it!" Klaus declared.

"He better be. If he hurts Buffy, I might have to hurt him," Willow warned.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Then I'd have to hurt you. I'd much rather take you to bed," Klaus told her with a leer. "But Buffy knows the one thing that can interfere with her budding relationship with Elijah is Haley, Hope's mother."

"Elijah has a thing for Hayley?" Willow asked, frowning.

"The feelings were mutual, but she married Jackson, an alpha werewolf, to unite two powerful clans," Klaus said. "Jackson is a decent enough bloke. Elijah respects her choice."

"Buffy is no man's second choice!" Willow said hotly.

Klaus grinned. "Hey, no need to convince me! I'm crazy about her!" Klaus said. When Willow looked suspicious, he added, "You know she treats me like a man, not a monster. She defends me even to others."

"Well, Buffy loved two vampires. One, Angel, had a curse. One moment of happiness and he lost his soul. After spending the night with Buffy, he reverted to his demon self, Angelus, and spent months tormenting Buffy and us. He killed one of our teachers. Put me in the hospital, and he tried to end the world. Buffy had to kill him to stop the hellmouth from opening," Willow shared. "I had done the spell giving him back his soul right before, and she still did it. She loved him more than anything, and yet she did her duty. Then with Spike, she also saw the man and not the monster. He didn't have a soul for a long time. Even though he was a soulless demon, she managed to change him. Eventually, he fought for his soul back. So, I'm not surprised that Buffy sees more in you than others do. She's good at inspiring people. It's one of the many reasons I love her."

Klaus finished his wine, thinking about her words. "You and I are kindred spirits, I think," Klaus said thoughtfully.

Willow flashed him a smile. "How about you take me to a club? Can you find someone to watch Hope? I'd love to hear some live music and maybe go dancing," she said.

Klaus thought about it. "Well, all Hope's maternal relatives are wolves. My family is in Miami," he said.

"No friends?" Willow asked.

"I guess I could call Marcel or Cami," he said.

"Then do so. I'll put on my party dress!" she said with a wink.

More interested than he wanted to admit, Klaus made a call.

 _******Miami******_

Buffy sighed in contentment as she watched the sun set with Elijah's arms around her. They sat on the beach, the remains of a picnic dinner all around them. It was a perfect moment—she'd had so few of them. The past two days had been so incredible. She'd had no slaying, no responsibilities, no demands on her. Only Elijah. For once, she was allowed to relish the simple joy of being with someone she cared deeply for. As a lover, he had no equal. As a gentleman, he was every woman's secret fantasy. As a man, she relished in calling him hers.

Unfortunately, her busy brain refused to shut off for long. As the sky grew dark, she turned and gazed up at him. "So what does this mean?" she asked him.

Elijah, too, was caught up in their moment. Too long had he been weighed down by guilt of his transgressions. Allowing himself to enjoy this time with Buffy had been cathartic. She was incredible. Her strength and beauty, her sense of duty—everything about her intrigued and captivated him.

He gave her a lazy smile. "What does what mean?" he asked.

"This," she said gesturing to the two of them. "Was this just a hook-up? I mean, I guess that's okay. If you're thinking that we haven't known each other very long, I get it. I've considered that."

Elijah frowned. "You want this to be just a hook-up?" he asked, removing his arm and turning so he could face her more squarely.

Buffy looked alarmed. "No! Not at all! I'm crazy about you!" she revealed. Then she blushed. "I mean that...uh…you're pretty great."

Elijah resumed smiling. "You're pretty great yourself," he said, leaning down to place a light kiss on her lips. "I don't want this to be a one-time thing we forget about when we get back to New Orleans. I've done that before." His eyes became shadowed.

"With Hayley?" Buffy guessed. "We should talk about her. She's going to be around full-time. I don't want to be just a girl you're distracting yourself with."

Elijah picked up her hand and covered it with his own. "That is what happened with Hayley. She was with me only one time. Then the next day she married another man," he shared. Buffy winced. Even though Elijah had mentioned it once, she still felt for him—talk about rejection. "Yes, it wasn't my best day. But she made her choice. She chose Jackson. He's a good man, and he loves her. He loves Hope. He even tolerates me and Klaus in Hayley's life."

"He sounds like a saint," Buffy said with a wry smile.

"He's not that, but he can be trusted with Hayley and Hope. I will always care about Hayley, but she and I aren't meant to be," Elijah said.

"Do you think you and I are meant to be?" Buffy asked with a hopeful smile.

He lifted her hand to lips and kissed it. "I think that you are the first woman I've ever cared about that my brother actually likes. I do not have to fear that Niklaus will harm you," Elijah admitted.

"He's done that?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"He's found a way to kill or destroy every woman I've ever loved. There hasn't been that many," Elijah shared.

"And you still stay by his side?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"We took a vow: Always and forever. He's my brother. I believe in his heart that he always acts out of my best interest," Elijah said.

"You really believe so?" Buffy asked.

"Well, one of my exes that he had killed was a powerful witch. She died over a hundred years ago, and yet she managed to come back recently and nearly destroyed us all," Elijah said. "As much as I hate to admit it, Klaus has good instincts."

Buffy nodded, thinking about his words. She struggled to tell him she was feeling. Finally, she said, "I just don't want to get my heart broken again. And I think you could do that."

Elijah stared wordlessly at her. Her words both gratified him and concerned him. "The women in our lives are usually terribly hurt, even destroyed. I can't promise some enemy of ours won't target you if you become much more involved with me and my family," he admitted.

"I'm already involved," Buffy replied. She raised up on her knees and draped her arms around his neck. "I'm going to outlive everyone I love except for maybe Willow—we aren't sure about her. Angel and Spike will probably get themselves killed fighting the good fight. I think I can handle your enemies."

Elijah heart filled with warmth at her words. For the first time in a very long time, he felt hope for his future that had nothing to do with his niece. And he most importantly, he felt peace. He pulled her close, determined to show her how much her words meant.

***** _New Orleans*****_

Klaus watched Willow in amusement. After a few drinks, she unloosed in a way that he'd not expected. She danced a few dances with him, but he rather enjoyed watching her than actually dancing. Marcel had arrived to watch Hope. However, he'd brought Davina and Josh with him. At first, Klaus was annoyed. However, the eagerness in Davina and Josh when they spotted Hope helped counter his misgivings. Then when Hope's eyes lit up and she smiled at them, he was powerless to resist. He grudgingly left his daughter in their hands.

Marcel appeared next to him. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be watching my daughter?" Klaus asked in disapproval.

"She's fine. We played with her an hour. Then Davina and Josh gave her a bath. Now she's a sleep. I left them watching television," Marcel said with a grin.

"I cannot believe you brought the two people who hate me the most to babysit my daughter," Klaus complained.

"You underestimate your own list of enemies," Marcel said, smirking. "I can assure you that there are many in this city who hate your more than them!"

Klaus laughed and moved to watch Willow. She was dancing in between a man and a woman. When the man got too handsey, he was electrocuted by a spark that came from Willow.

"Wow. She really isn't someone to mess with, is she?" Marcel asked in bemusement. He watched the guy shout angrily at Willow. Willow raised her hand and the man was suddenly in a cage hanging in the corner dancing in his underwear.

Both Klaus and Marcel stood gaping. "Am I hallucinating?" Marcel asked. "Or did she just teleport that guy and take over his will without missing a beat?"

"Unless we're now sharing hallucinations, she did exactly that," Klaus said, shaking his head.

"A woman with this must power would make a fearsome enemy," Marcel remarked, frowning.

"She'd also make an incredible ally," Klaus said with a grin. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go dance again with my new best friend!"

Marcel was both amused and worried. Klaus had enough power. First the Slayer came to town and now this witch. He had a feeling that the witches in New Orleans would not tolerate this type of unbalance for long.

****** _Chapter End******_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Good News

 _******The Next Day******_

Davina was having lunch with Josh at Cami's pub. She was telling Cami about watching Hope and the new witch in town.

"Buffy's really shaking things up in this town," Cami remarked.

"Understatement," Josh said. "She's turned Klaus into a tamed puppy, it seems. The word on the street is Elijah is crazy about her."

"Buffy and Elijah would make a cute couple," Cami said, smiling. "Elijah is a good man."

"She has powerful friends, though," Davina said. "If things go sour like all Elijah's relationships do, who knows what the fallout will be?"

Cami shook her head. "You don't know Buffy like I do. She genuinely likes Klaus. She treats him like a spoiled child with irresistible dimples. She'd never turn on the Mikaelsons. She's too loyal," Cami said confidently.

"But Klaus is an evil psychopath. Isn't she, like, a warrior for good?" Josh asked. "What's going to happen when he goes off the rails again?"

"That's why Elijah brought her to town. Buffy can control him. She can't be killed either," Cami shared.

Davina looked surprised. "Really? Why is that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Look, I'm telling you this because you're my friend, and I trust you. I'm not telling this to the coven head," Cami said pointedly. "Buffy is the original vampire slayer. Her best friend Willow, the one who's in town now, activated all potential slayers. Now there's an entire army of vampire slayers with supernatural strength and fighting skills. Each time one dies, another is called. Buffy is the anchor for this line, so she gets stronger every year. Believe me, Klaus isn't stupid. He will not go out of his way to piss her off. Neither should you or your covens."

Josh's eyes widened at the implication. "So Buffy has the power to kill every vampire in New Orleans? And Klaus hasn't tried to kill her yet?" he asked.

"No, of course not!" Cami said. "They're friends. Buffy doesn't go around killing vampires with souls. She kills another kind. One that is from an ancient, demon line. Her kind turn to dust when she stakes them. They are soulless. She only kills supernatural creatures who do evil. Klaus isn't evil."

"That could be debated," Josh said.

"Maybe. But the important thing is Buffy's witch friend is going to break Hayley's curse," Cami said.

"I wish that the ancestors would let me do it," Davina said.

"Buffy's friend, Willow, can do it," Cami said. "You met her last night. What do you think? Klaus told me she was in town and making him crazy."

Davina nodded. "Yes. She was there when we were there. The power coming from her was unlike anything I've ever sensed. The ancestors are not happy that she's here," Davina said with a worried frown.

"I'm not sure the ancestors want to go pissing that particular witch off," Cami advised.

Davina finished her drink and said goodbye to her friends. As she was walking down the street, a woman she recognized approached her. It was Kar Nyguyen, the leader of the Ninth Ward coven. Her son Van and a woman she didn't know where with her.

"Davina," Kar said.

"Kar," Davina said. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"You can explain why you are still consorting with vampires? Why you were seen coming out of the Mikaelson's house? And why have you allowed the unbalance of power in this city?" Kar asked coldly.

"First of all, I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone else. You and the covens in this city approached _me_. You wanted me to be the head of all the covens," Davina said arrogantly.

"We did so believing you could keep the Mikaelsons in check," Kar said with a disapproving sniff.

"I am. Haven't you heard the old saying, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'?" Davina asked. "I have met both new players in town. Yesterday, I accompanied Josh and Marcel to the Mikaelson's to check on Hope's welfare. I owe Hayley that much."

"You owe the coven," Kar said in disapproval.

"No, actually I don't," Davina said, taking a step closer to Kar. "The witches in this city killed me. It was Marcel, a vampire, who took care of me and saved me. I owe _him_."

"How quickly you forget the persecution of the witches in this city by his hand," Kar said bitterly.

"I forget nothing," Davina said haughtily. "I also know his actions were in response to what he believed was a direct threat on my life. It doesn't matter now. We have to live in the present and look to the future. The new players in town will not threaten the balance unless someone acts against the Mikaelsons," Davina said.

"Oh, so even more power is now in the hands of the Mikaelsons?" Kar said in angry disbelief. "If you don't do something, the ancestors will turn against you." She gave one last glare and stalked away. Her companions trailing after her.

Davina's stomach clenched in anxiety. She'd met Buffy and Willow. No one else had. They didn't understand the power these women possessed. Trying to challenge them would be a huge mistake. Davina may be young, but she knew this instinctively.

 _******Mikaelsons******_

Klaus laid Hope down for her nap. She'd had lunch and her nappy changed. Willow had yet to make an appearance. She'd danced until late into the night and was still sleep. Klaus had danced with her. So did Marcel. So did a few very attractive women. Watching her was an amusing way to pass the evening. She had the same confidence and sense of self that the slayer had. However, there was a wariness and pain in the slayer that Willow didn't have. Willow seemed to have an innocence—a love of life that Buffy didn't have. It was refreshing. Klaus knew that she'd experienced a great loss in her life, but she didn't carry it as close as Cami carried the loss of her twin. Maybe it was because more time had passed for her.

Klaus tried to seduce the witch, but she passed out before he could get anywhere. He smiled in anticipation of what the day would bring.

He heard voices and went to investigate. "You are home," he said as he looked down at his sister and brother coming in with the slayer.

"We are," Elijah said. Buffy waved.

Klaus observed that the two were holding hands. Elijah looked very relaxed; Buffy was happy.

He grinned. "You had sex!" he accused as he came down the stairs.

Freya gave him a disapproving look. "I do not think that is any of our business!" she said.

"Maybe not, but it's mine!" a voice above said. They looked up to see a grinning Willow. "Come on up! I need details!"

Buffy smiled and tugged Elijah down to give him a quick kiss then she went to Willow.

"How fairs my niece?" Elijah asked a still grinning Klaus.

"Very well. Marcel, Josh, and Davina watched her for a bit while I took the witch dancing last night," Klaus shared.

"Davina came willingly to the house again?" Elijah asked in surprise.

"She wanted to see Hope," Klaus shrugged. He poured a drink and handed it to Elijah. When he asked Freya, she shook her head.

"No, I'm going to go rest. My vacation was a bit tiring," she said with a small smile.

"I bet it was," Klaus said with a knowing grin. He watched her walk away and then gave Elijah a considering look. "So how was the trip?"

"Very nice," Elijah said, a contented air about him. "Seeing Buffy in a situation where she's the slayer was quite informative. She was amazing."

"I take it you handled the demon uprising?" Klaus said.

"It was the oddest thing. Alligator demon creatures," Elijah said, shaking his head. "How does Ms. Rosenberg fair?"

"She is a the most maddening of creatures," Klaus said with a grin. "Such power and beauty and intelligence—a potent package."

"I do not think it wise to trifle with one such as she," Elijah advised.

"It is not I that is trifling," Klaus countered. "She has been toying with me and enjoying every minute."

"You know she prefers the company of women?" Elijah asked.

"So she claims," Klaus said smugly. "However, she has loved a man before—she told me so herself."

"You do know seducing her isn't necessary. She will help Hayley," Elijah pointed out.

"I know," Klaus said. "Tell me. Are you and Buffy an "item" as they say or did you just enjoy a really great vacation?"

"Klaus, you know a gentleman never kisses and tells," Elijah said. "However, Buffy and I are most definitely involved. So stay out of it." He finished his drink and went to his room.

Upstairs, Willow was grinning at Buffy. "So I take it that Miami was everything you hoped it be?" she asked.

Buffy sat down on the bed and grabbed a decorative pillow to hug. "It was perfect," she said with a dreamy smile. "Elijah is perfect!"

"Really?" Willow said eagerly. "A perfect man in the body of an immortal vampire. Sounds familiar."

Buffy held up a hand. "No, he's nothing like Angel. Not really. I mean he's strong and dependable like Angel. But he's got this nobility about him that Angel never had. He's dedicated and determined, especially when it comes to saving Klaus. His family is everything to him," Buffy said.

"So he brings out the feels?" Willow asked.

"Oh, boy, does he! I've fallen hard, Will," Buffy acknowledged. "I feel like a part of me that wasn't quite finished is complete. He's the missing piece in my life. And I know it won't be easy. His family is highly dysfunctional. Klaus is very co-dependent. They have more enemies than even I do. But I love him. I love his family. I don't want to ever be apart from him."

"I'm so happy for you, Buffy. You deserve the very best," Willow said. "I know the past year has been really tough on you. I think you might be right about this family. They're special."

"Been having fun with Klaus, huh?" Buffy asked with a knowing grin.

"So much!" Willow said, laughing. "He's a monster with a poet's heart. A very strange combination."

"Did you see his paintings? He's very talented," Buffy said.

"I did. He tried to get me to pose in the nude for him," Willow shared.

"You should do it. He'll immortalize you like the goddess you are," Buffy said.

"I'm glad I came here. It's just what I needed. Kennedy has upset me for the last time. I'm done," Willow announced.

"You've said that before," Buffy pointed out. "But when she comes around all apologetic, you cave and take her back."

"Maybe if I don't let myself see her for six months, she'll be less convincing," Willow said.

"After you break the curse, maybe you can stick around here?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"Maybe. I'm a bit concerned, though, about the witches in this town," Willow said. "I've done some research. Ancestral magic is very powerful. I met Davina. I could sense that she had a lot of power, but her age was surprising. She's so young. To be the head witch in town is quite an accomplishment."

Buffy nodded. "She and Klaus have a mutual hate thing going," Buffy said. "From what I've gathered, she's one of the few who's managed to slap him around and live to tell about it. It's probably why the covens chose her. They don't get why he hasn't killed her yet. Her close relationship to Marcel protects her from Klaus—he's like a son to Klaus."

"I met that cutie patootie last night," Willow said with a happy sigh. "You're surrounded by total hotties in this city!"

"Most definitely," Buffy said. She yawned. "I'm going to go take a nap. I didn't get much sleep."

"Yeah, I bet you didn't," Willow said with a snicker.

Buffy gave her friend a sheepish smile and went to her room.

****** _The Day of the Full Moon******_

Willow had spent the last two days mostly ignoring Klaus and hanging with his sister. He was mad with jealousy.

The two women were in the corner pouring over some old book while Buffy was snuggled against Elijah on the sofa watching television. Klaus did not enjoy feeling like a third wheel.

"Have you heard from our sister?" he asked Elijah.

"Not in a week or so," Elijah said.

Klaus pulled out his phone and push #3 on his speed-dial.

"Hello, Nicklaus," Rebekah said, in an accented voice that was still wrong to his ears. Why his sister would want to be in a human body was beyond his understanding.

"My dear, Rebekah, how are you?" he asked.

"Is something wrong?" Rebekah asked, suspicious.

"No. Nothing at all. I just missed you," Klaus said.

"You never ask me how I am. What the bloody hell is going on there?" Rebekah asked.

Klaus sighed. "Nothing. The slayer has turned our brother into a besotted fool. Our sister is teamed up with the redheaded witch, who won't sleep with me no matter how hard I try to seduce her. I'm bored," he complained.

Rebekah grinned. "Elijah is with Buffy? Seriously? I need to get home and meet this slayer I've heard so much about!" she said.

"Yes, you do. Come save me from my boredom. You may be a lot of things, but boring isn't one of them!" Klaus said with a chuckle.

"Who's this witch who won't sleep with you?" Rebekah asked with interest.

"She's Buffy's best friend Willow. She's going to break Hayley's curse tonight," Klaus shared.

"Really? That's wonderful! Do you think she can help us with Kol?" Rebekah asked.

"I don't know. Buffy says she's the most powerful witch on earth. She claims that she raised Buffy from the dead once, so maybe," Klaus said.

"You guys know someone with access to that much power and no one thinks to call me?" Rebekah asked in annoyance.

"I'm calling now," Klaus said smugly.

"Keep the witch there. I'll be home as soon as I can," Rebekah said, hanging up.

"Good news," Klaus announced happily. "Rebekah is coming home."

****** _To Be Continued******_

 _This is a good stopping point since I need to get an update to you. It's been a month! Thanks to all of you that are still reading. Reviews make me so happy!_

 _Well, I've got less than a month before classes resume, and there's SO MUCH MORE to write. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to cut this story short and get into season 3 in a sequel. I really want to write Buffy facing off with the Strix. However, my writing time is almost gone. I'll write one more chapter and probably start posting a sequel at the end of the year._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: A New Chapter

 _******A Few Hours Later******_

Hayley blinked. She was in her human body. A smiling Elijah was facing her. She turned and saw her pack. Jackson stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. "Is it done?" she asked, afraid to hope.

Klaus spoke. "I told you that I'd find a way. My new friend Willow broke the curse," he said, pointing to the redhead.

Hayley rolled her eyes. Leave it to Klaus to take credit for something he had little to do with. She'd met Buffy and knew that it was probably her that had done this. Hayley's eyes stopped on the smiling redhead. "Thank you," she said.

"No problem. Sorry it took me so long to figure it out. The spell was so ancient. Tricky," Willow said with a sheepish smile.

"You did what Freya couldn't, and she's been around a long time. It's amazing. My pack and I are in your debt," Hayley said. Her eyes latched on to Hope. She held out her arms.

Klaus stepped forward and handed Hope to her. "I've procured the building across from ours for you and Jackson. I don't want Hope to be too far away," he said.

Hayley didn't have the energy to argue. She glanced at Jackson, who shrugged.

"It's time to celebrate!" Jackson exclaimed. His pack cheered. Hugging and chatter broke out.

"Thank you," Hayley said, looking to Buffy. She noticed that the woman leaned familiarly against Elijah. They must now be lovers. The realization pained her. However, he wasn't hers. She looked up at her husband, who looked at her and Hope with adoration. This was enough. A life with her daughter and Jackson was more than enough. He was a good man, and he loved them both. She gave him a warm smile.

Buffy nodded. "I'm glad we could help. No child should go without her mother," she said.

Elijah felt such relief. Hayley was cured and with her family. He need not feel guilty for his happiness with Buffy. "It's so good to have you back," he said to her.

Hayley smiled at him. Words weren't necessary between them even now. "Let's get out of here. I'm dying for a nice hot bath!" she shared.

Willow laughed. "I can imagine," she said.

They headed out of the bayou. It had been decided that Hayley would stay with Jackson and Hope in her old room at the Mikaelsons'. Tomorrow they would move into the new place.

When they walked into the courtyard, a voice called out, "It's about bloody time!"

"I know that annoying voice. The tone is unmistakable no matter the vessel that masks it!" Klaus said with a smirk. He grinned when Rebekah stepped out of the shadows.

"Rebekah," Elijah said, releasing Buffy's hand and opening his arms as his baby sister moved to embrace him.

"It's good to see you, sister," Klaus said, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"I can't believe it! She's back!" Rebekah exclaimed, turning toward a smiling Hayley.

"How come she doesn't look like the portrait?" Willow whispered to Buffy.

"That's not her body," Buffy whispered back.

"What?" a horrified Willow asked.

The brothers, of course, heard the witch's inquiry. "Our sister wants to live as a human and a witch. The body she is in belongs to a psycho killer. She's doing the world a service by hijacking it," Klaus said.

"So these are the girls I've heard so much about," Rebekah said, smiling at the two women.

"I'm going to take Hope to bed. It's good to have you back," Hayley said. Rebekah kissed Hope and hugged Rebekah before heading to her room. Jackson, of course, followed his girls.

Buffy held out her hand to Rebekah. "I'm Buffy," she said. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Rebekah grinned. "Not as much as I've heard about you, I bet," she said.

"This is Willow," Elijah introduced.

Rebekah held out her hand. "Nice to meet a woman who doesn't let men tell her what to do," she said.

Willow laughed and shook her hand. "I let Giles and sometimes Xander tell me what to do," she said. "But they rarely give orders. Suggestions are more their style."

"We're going to throw a party to celebrate Hayley's return," Klaus told Rebekah.

"You should probably do it tomorrow. Hayley needs to be with Hope tonight," Rebekah said.

"I agree," Elijah said.

"Fine," Klaus said.

"We can go out for dinner, though," Buffy suggested.

"I will call Marcel," Klaus said in agreement. Then he smirked at Rebekah. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

They spent a fun evening celebrating. Buffy really liked Rebekah, whose sharp sarcasm reminded her of Xander, who she missed all the time. When they made it back home, Elijah followed her into her room.

"That was a lovely evening," he said, watching her remove her make-up. It gave him such pleasure to watch her do something so mundane. It'd been too long since he'd experienced this type of intimacy with a woman. Things between them were so natural. They experienced none of the awkwardness of new lovers.

Buffy met his eyes in her mirror and smiled warmly. "It really was. I like your sister. She made me laugh. She is much different than I expected," she said.

"She's the baby. We've spoiled her. Klaus hasn't made her life easy. She has much bitterness," Elijah shared. "I believe she liked you quite a bit, too."

Buffy turned around. "Really? How do you know?" she asked.

"She didn't fillet you with her tongue or physically assault you," Elijah said, a twinkle in his eye.

Buffy laughed. "Faith would really love her. She made me miss Xander," Buffy admitted.

Elijah had heard many tales about the young human, her white knight. He had saved Buffy's life more than once. "I would like to meet him," Elijah said.

Buffy stood. "Since things are settling down here, would you want to do some traveling with me? We can go to New York and stay with him and Dawn. I'd love to have you meet them and my niece and nephew. Then we can go to Cleveland and meet Faith. Oh, and then to England, so you can meet Giles!" she said, almost giddy at the thought. She wanted everyone to meet Elijah. Too many years of failing at relationships and now she'd found her prince. He may not be perfect, but he was perfect for her.

"I've met Mr. Giles, remember?" Elijah said, giving her a fond smile and wrapping his arms around her as she hugged him and smiled up at him. A surge of emotion filled him as he looked down at her. Would her presence ever grow commonplace?

Buffy looked sheepish. "Yeah, well, you haven't met him in my official boyfriend capacity!" she reminded him.

"Boyfriend?" Elijah asked in amusement.

"Yes, _boyfriend_! That's what we say when you're sleeping with a guy you have strong feelings for," Buffy pointed out.

"Boy? I'm a thousand years old. I prefer lover," Elijah said, pressing his lips to her neck. The desire to taste her was very strong.

Buffy giggled and looked a bit scandalized. "I can't introduce you to the slayerettes as my lover! I'm a role model!" she said.

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Do they believe you are chaste?" he asked.

"Well, no, but still…" Buffy trailed off, frowning at the thought of telling everyone he was her lover. She wasn't particularly private, but that seemed weird.

"How about just your man?" he suggested, gazing down at her. "Because that's what I am."

Buffy said nothing for a long moment; she just looked at him. "How can I not fall in love with you?" she complained.

"There are worst fates," Elijah said, kissing her hungrily.

When the demand for air caused Buffy to push him back, she said, "So are you up for a trip?"

Elijah brushed his hand across her cheek. "A trip with you? Always," he said.

Buffy flashed him a brilliant smile. "After we spend time with Rebekah and Willow," she said.

"Of course," Elijah said, bored with the conversation. He began undressing her.

 _******Two Days Later******_

Rebekah watched Buffy teasing Klaus mercilessly. His failure to seduce Willow was vastly amusing to the slayer. She was encouraging him to get in touch with his feminine side in order to attract the resistant and amused witch.

It was so strange to have two powerful women at the table that obviously felt completely at ease there. Their presence—especially Buffy's—had brought joy back to their family. Rebekah never thought this day would come. Her brothers were happy, and it was because of the slayer. The night before they'd had their wild party with the wolves and several vampire friends. It'd been a perfect night.

Elijah smiled at his baby sister, who was sitting on his left, Buffy on his right. Willow was sitting next to her. Freya was across from Willow while Klaus sat at his usual spot opposite Elijah. "It's good to have you home, sister," he said.

"It's good to be home. I can't remember seeing you two like this," she observed. "The slayer is good for you guys. She's not afraid of Klaus."

Elijah gave a slight nod. "I know. She fears nothing. But she genuinely likes Niklaus, and he basks in her approval," he shared.

"I can see that," Rebekah said in acknowledgment.

"So, Elijah and I have an announcement to make!" Buffy said.

"You're getting married?" Willow asked with a grin. She knew, of course, that wasn't the case. Buffy would've told her immediately.

Freya's eyes widened. "What? That's wonderful!" she exclaimed.

Buffy blanched. "No, we're not getting married! We just got together!" she protested.

"I think Buffy Mikaelson has a nice ring to it," Klaus observed with a grin, enjoying the chance to tease her for a change.

"Wooooaa! Slow this gravy train down!" Buffy said, giving Elijah a look of panic.

Elijah chuckled, enjoying the teasing. He reached for her hand as he was struck by a single thought: He liked the sound of her name carrying his.

The doorbell rang, interrupting them. Klaus frowned in annoyance. "Who the bloody hell is that?"

Rebekah got up and went to the door. Davina was there, looking upset.

"Rebekah? I heard you were back in town. We've got to talk," she said.

"Come in," Rebekah said. "We were having dinner. Would you like to join us?"

Davina followed her into the dining room. She winced and cried out in pain. Elijah and Klaus got to their feet as she came in sight, obviously distressed.

"What is wrong?" Elijah asked in concerned. Although the feeling probably wasn't mutual, he liked the young, fearless witch.

"It's the ancestors and the covens," Davina said. "Kar Nyguyen, the leader of the Ninth Ward coven, has gained more support. The presence of the Buffy and Willow has upset the balance in this city too much."

"But I'm a witch! Buffy kills vampires! We're not against your coven or the witches!" Willow protested.

"It doesn't matter. You're friends with the Mikealsons. That means you would ally against us," Davina said. She winced, rubbing her head. "They've been punishing me for not doing anything about you."

Willow stood, her eyes flashing with power and irritation. "Seriously? They're tormenting you because they feel threatened? They want to make an enemy of me? They better know what they're getting!" she exclaimed. Her hair turned white as did her eyes, and she moved to Davina's side. She put her hands on Davina's head and chanted. Davina gasped.

"What did you do?" Davina asked fearfully.

"I just used you to send a wave of power to the Other Side. It should knock them all on their collective asses. If they don't back the hell off from you, I'll break your connection to them and teach you how to use magic without them. Then we'll go to them and send them to hell where they belong! If they think they're safe from me just because they're dead, I'll prove them wrong!" Willow said in anger.

"Will, calm down," Buffy said. Even though Willow no longer went dark, she always worried whenever Will got too upset.

Willow took a deep breath, and the Mikaelsons watched as her hair returned to his natural color.

"What the hell was that?" Klaus asked, equally disturbed and turned on.

"It's what happens when she channels the power of the earth now. She's got a direct line to the source of all magic," Buffy explained. "It's freaky but so much better than when she went Dark Willow, and her hair turned black and she was all veiny. This is better—believe me!"

Davina was in such shock that she stared up at Willow. "How do you have such power?" she asked, a bit afraid.

Willow put her hand on her shoulder. "Don't be scared. I'm a good witch. I only kill bad guys. Well, normally only bad demons or vamps. I usually just strip witches of their powers," Willow said. "Tell your coven if they want to take me on, I'll do exactly that. I render them utterly powerless, and they'll have no one to blame but themselves. I'll leave New Orleans when I'm good and ready. I'm not going to be ran out of town by a bunch of bullies!"

Buffy grinned in approval. Willow had come so far from the meek, stammering girl she'd met in high school. Now, she truly was like a goddess. "You tell them, Willow!" she said. She gave Davina a look of concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. The pain is gone. I think the ancestors have gotten the message," Davina said in approval.

"If you're this powerful, you can bring our brother Kol back," Rebekah stated.

"I don't know. Maybe," Willow said with a shrug.

Rebekah exchanged a look with Freya. It could finally happen; they could get their brother back. Their family could be whole.

Klaus lifted his glass. "It will happen. Soon we'll all be sitting at this table. Family. Always and Forever."

The siblings each lifted their glasses and repeated the vow, "Always and forever."

Buffy's announcement was forgotten.

That night, she lay in bed, Elijah's arms wrapped around her. "We didn't get to tell them about our trip. Should we cancel it?" Buffy asked. She turned to face him.

"We can leave. Willow isn't going anywhere and will keep Klaus distracted and out of trouble. Rebekah's here, too. It's a perfect time," Elijah said. "We'll return after a few weeks. Then maybe you'll be able to meet my baby brother."

Buffy smiled. "It's so sweet the way you guys are so devoted. The vow you made. With a human, it'd just be a nice sentiment. But when a vampire says always and forever, it means something else entirely," she remarked.

Elijah put his hand to her cheek. "I saw how the thought of a union between us scared you, but I'd like to give you a promise from me," he said, catching her off guard.

"I hope I didn't offend you with my reaction about a marriage. It's just that's a really big deal, and we just started seeing each other," Buffy said, beginning to babble.

Elijah was familiar enough with the Buffy babble and put his finger to her lips to silence her. "I was not offended. I know how disappointed you've been by other men you've loved," he said. "But I can give you a promise that means more than any marriage vow."

"Really?" Buffy asked, her racing.

"My siblings and I promised to be family always and forever. I can give you a similar vow," Elijah told her. He leaned closer and placed a whisper of a kiss on her lips.

"You can?" Buffy asked, feeling as if she was caught up in a spell. His lips trailed across her cheek to her neck and then to her ears. He nibbled a moment.

Then he whispered, "I vow to be yours, always and forever."

Buffy's eyes widened in surprise at his words. "Seriously?" she asked.

"Seriously," he said with a grin.

Buffy hugged him tightly. Finally, she didn't have to live her life alone. Whatever the future held, they'd face it together.

***** _The End*****_

 _Obviously, there's more to this tale. But even if there wasn't, I hope you can imagine the great things in store for the two of them, and the excitement they'll face together. I'd love a final review. Please don't be too upset that I'm ending it at this point. I'll work to start a sequel as soon as possible. Follow me so you can be notified. Thanks for reading!_


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